58 



position on the forty-fourth parallel, it might be added, was the 

 farthest south recorded for any berg during April. Looking north- 

 ward on the map for April, we note that four bergs were reported the 

 14th on the western edge of Flemish Cap. Two bergs were just 

 inside the 100-fathom curve to the westward on the Grand Bank 

 and seven bergs were scattered on an east and west line between the 

 Bank and the Cap. A berg was reported on the 16th close in to the 

 Bank slope, and of all the glacial ice recorded to date this berg was 

 regarded from its position as being most liable to drift southward and 

 menace the southern routes. This fear proved groundless as nothing 

 more was heard of its career. A berg was reported offshore on the 

 10th, and again on the 14th, in each instance located without much 

 doubt in the northern edge of the Gulf Stream drift. A second report 

 from this locality of a small berg probably referred to the one pre- 

 viously mentioned on the 10th; its new position would accord with 

 the oceanographic circulation and indicated a rate of drift of 0.7 

 knot per hour. Three bergs between the forty-fifth and forty-sixth 

 parallels about 50 miles eastward of the slope were reported on the 

 21st and it is believed that they were the same as two previously 

 recorded on the 16th, which would account for a drift almost due 

 south at the rate of 0.4 knot per hour. 



Clear weather set in the 22d on the northern routes and for a period 

 of the next three or four days a considerable number of bergs were 

 reported which greatly augumented the list for April. For example 

 the most populous distribution existed on the 100-fathom curve in 

 latitude 47° where one ship sighted 26 bergs and an extensive ice 

 field. These bergs with the addition of a few scattered ones were 

 continually being reported by passing vessels the 23d to 26th instant. 

 On the 28th and 29th three or four bergs of this aforementioned 

 original group were reported south to the extreme limit for the 

 month, excepting three small bergs on the 8th, on the east edge of the 

 Bank in latitude 44° 45'. One berg only was reported in on the 

 shelf, but its position was well to the northward in latitude 47° 20' 

 longitude 50° 45'. It is worth remarking that records show only 

 about one-eighth or one-ninth of the total number of bergs south of 

 Newfoundland ever succeed in drifting south of the Tail of the Grand 

 Bank. 



We ought not to fail to mention the behavior and distribution of 

 the field ice for April. It was present during the entire month on 

 the northeastern slope of the Banks north of the forty-sixth parallel, 

 but due to the fact that there were few ships passing through this 

 zone the presence of the fields were not recorded often. Whenever a 

 ship crossed this vicinity, however, we were quite certain to receive 

 an ice report. The patrol recorded what proved to be the southern- 

 most invasion of the Arctic sea ice for the current year, the field 



