14 



first sighted on the 16th were relocated and approached, to be 

 drifted by until morning. The southernmost of the pair was now 

 in 44° 52' N., 49° 10' W. It had drifted due south at about 0.5 

 knot for the past two days and was believed to be the southernmost 

 ice. Considerable calving and erosion had taken place during the 

 past 24 hours. One of the three snowy owls seen on this berg the 

 previous evening was missing. 



On the 18th the search for ice was resumed first to the east and then 

 to the south down the Labrador current. No ice was sighted until 

 toward evening, when two bergs reported earlier in the day by the 

 Berlin as in 43° 43' N., 48° 45' W., were reached. Ice so far south 

 was not expected. These bergs must have slipped down in the cold 

 current during the Modoc's cruise to the eastward from the 12th to 

 the 14th. During the night a rather severe storm of small propor- 

 tions passed over, no doubt a secondary of the big "low" noted over 

 Belle Isle. 



During the blow several dovekies were picked up from deck in a 

 stunned and bewildered condition from having been dashed against 

 the deck house. 



The two southernmost bergs were located again on the morning of 

 the 19tli and then approached and examined. Both were rather 

 small and were drifting south about 12 miles per day according to 

 radio bearings, dead reckoning, and soundings. Clouds prevented the 

 accurate determination of position. A run was made to the south 

 but no more bergs were sighted. The visibility was excellent after 

 the storm. At 10 a. m. a course to the northwest was laid which 

 was changed to the southwest for the Tail at 1 p. m. 



After steaming about two hours on this last course, the masthead 

 lookout sighted a berg three points forward of the port beam. It 

 was headed for, proving to have been 15 miles distant when first 

 seen. The berg was a solid low one that bore no resemblance to the 

 dry-dock type whatever, being about 30 feet high and with cliff -like 

 perpendicular sides. This berg was the southernmost ice sighted or 

 reported so far this year, being in 43° 16' N., 49° 14' W. A south- 

 westerly course was continued from the berg for 18 miles, when the 

 course was changed to west for the Tail. The night of the 19th was 

 spent drifting in the shoal water. 



On the 20th four oceanographic stations were occupied, three of 

 them over and one to the south of the Tail. Pure arctic discharge was 

 observed at the bottom in the shoal water and down to the 125-meter 

 level in the deep water to the south. At 2 p. m. the vessel was hove 

 to on a WSW course on account of a SW gale with heavy swell. 



The Mojave was met at 8 a. m. on April 21, 1928, in 43° N. 52° W., 

 where the relief of the patrol was effected, As soon as the duty was 

 turned over, the Modoc was headed for Halifax. 



