27 



long. This track was very interesting for it showed clearly the dis- 

 tribution of the Labrador water south of the Tail of the Banks. It 

 is worthy to note that at the same time that the trailed berg was 

 drifting north-northeast along a cold tongue of water, another berg 

 was known from frequent reports to be drifting south-southwest at 

 almost the same speed on the western edge of another cold tongue 

 from the north. On June 2 the latter berg was reported in the very 

 low position of 39° 39' N., 50° 00' W., apparently drifting south- 

 southwest at 23^ knots. The next day it was last reported as at 

 38° 59' N., 48° 51' W., the southernmost ice reported or sighted during 

 1928. 



Good visibility prevailed on June 3 until 5 p. m. The cold stream 

 was thoroughly searched between 45° 15' N. and 44° 00' N., but no 

 ice was located. The warming influence of Gulf Stream mixing was 

 noted inshore to the 100-fathom curve. Water less than 40° F. in 

 temperature was found on the surface only in a very narrow band 

 that was crowded over onto the Banks. On this account it was 

 believed that very few more bergs would be able to drift below the 

 fortj'-fifth parallel this season. 



June 4 was spent running slowly down the eastern edge of the Banks 

 working toward a rendezvous with the Modoc. The fog was so 

 dense at times that it was necessary to stop the ship. 



During the fifth cruise no gales whatever were encountered. There 

 was fog 50 per cent of the time. When it is considered that several 

 days were spent in warm water south of the fog area and that on at 

 least two days a knowledge of surrounding conditions enabled the 

 patrol to dodge the fog, an idea of the difficulty of keeping in touch 

 with the bergs in cold water during May and June can be appreciated. 

 The patrol felt keenly the probability of the existence of unreported 

 bergs south of the fort3''-third parallel, and continually warned ship- 

 ping in the regular broadcasts to beware of unknown bergs. It was 

 made routine to send out such warnings with the location of the south- 

 ernmost known dangers every hour during fog and darkness. 



Only six different bergs were sighted and reported south of 45° 

 30' N. during the period from May 21 to June 5. It seemed as though 

 most of these few bergs that succeeded in passing down through the 

 narrow neck of cold water along the eastern edge of the Banks made 

 a grand circuit counterclockwise around the edges of the cold mixed 

 waters southeast of the Tail of the Banks. Some of these bergs tended 

 to follow the edges of the cold tongues of water that extended from 

 the large cold body. A conclusion to be drawn from a study of the 

 tracks and distribution of this ice is that while bergs may be met in 

 warm water, a cold tongue often forms a broad avenue along the 

 edge of which bergs can readily drift along at from 2 to 3 knots. 



