59 



parallel. On the 6th and 7th days of May the Tampa sighted approx- 

 imately 100 bergs, most of which were found in an area bounded by 

 parallels 47° 50" and 47° 30" and meridians 50° 30" and 51°, an 

 area of about 36,000 square miles situated about 150 miles northeast 

 of Cape Race. This great quantity of ice apparently was drifting 

 southward eventually to ground on the northern part of the Bank; 

 many of the bergs it was expected would succeed in drifting toward 

 Cape Race while a much less number would probably follow the 50 

 and 100 fathom contours down the east side of the Bank. The fact 

 that over 100 icebergs were in these regions on the northern slope 

 of the Bank was considered an event of especial importance, par- 

 ticularly in view of the fact that the Cape Race tracks, leading 

 directly thi'ough this area, would become effective May 15 and thus 

 endanger those steamers bound to and from St. Lawrence ports. 

 May 7 to 11 was spent near the southernmost known berg on the 

 east side of the Bank near the forty-sixth parallel in 40 fathoms of 

 water. The berg apparently was agrovmd, or else there was no 

 current at that place, because it did not change its position materially 

 for four days. The patrol during this time broadcasted warnings 

 every six hours regarding the unusual quantity of ice then present 

 on the northern part of the Bank. 



May 11 to 16, the fog settled over the cold, ice-infested waters on 

 the northern part of the Bank, cutting off all opportunity to observe 

 the behavior and drift of the bergs. It was with surprise that we 

 received a report of a growler on May 15, in latitude 41° 57', longi- 

 tude 49° 53', but the steamer which made the report added her 

 inability to secure "sights" for the past two days and this naturally 

 made the position very uncertain. In view of subsequent events, 

 the presence of ice in this locality, approximately 60 miles south of 

 the Tail, is deemed very unlikely. The patrol ship during the foggy 

 spell, 11th to 16th, employed its time almost exclusively in making 

 a survey of the circulation along the eastern slope of the Grand 

 Bank and southward around the Tail (see p. 80). 



May 21 was the first clear day for a fortnight and so we searched 

 northward along the east side of the bank, and as guided by the 

 boundary between the two currents, which now it had been possible 

 to delineate on the current map just compiled. A considerable 

 amount of ice was reported on the 21st instant. For example, the 

 steamship Calgaric sighted about 38 bergs on the Cape Race tracks 

 between longitude 49° 40' and 50° 30'. These were thought to 

 be part of the same large group last seen by the ice patrol on May 6. 



May 23 to 27 were days of clear visibility and accordingly the 

 patrol ship searched northward from the forty-fifth parallel all the 

 way to the twenty-seventh parallel. A total of six bergs were 

 sighted, which comprised the southernmost group on the eastern 

 side of the Bank. The farthest south berg on the 23d instant was 



