54 



only 13 were of the presence of icebergs. Eight of the latter were of 

 bergs classified as large, and one of these was reported three times. 

 The most dangerous bergs reported during the month were a group 

 of four large and three small, reported three different times, as drifting 

 southward more or less together, from the northwestern part of the 

 Bank. The latest report which was probably the direct cause of 

 inaugurating the ice patrol, was contained in the United States 

 Hydrographic Office broadcast of March 20. This dispatch mentioned 

 the positions of four large and three small bergs in the vicinity of 



Fig. 10. — February ice map. 



The position of the first Arctic ice for the season of 1926; the first steamer 

 report from Cape Race was February 8 



latitude 45° 15', longitude 46° 20'. This is about 70 miles onshore 

 of the 100-fathom contour of the Grand Bank, where they might be 

 expected to drift eastward and southward to the northern borders of 

 the Gulf Stream, just where the latter is deflected offshore almost 

 due south of Flemish Cap. No doubt this fate actually befell them 

 as none of these bergs were sighted b}^ the patrol or reported later 

 by passing ships. Probably they finally disintegrated in the warm 

 offshore Atlantic waters, as they drifted northeastward, away from 

 the steamer lanes. Another large berg drifted southward to latitude 

 45°, about 30 miles seaward of the slope where it was sighted on 



