19 



in on the 8th from north of the Banks, however, due to breaks in 

 the fog blanket over that region. 



The 9th was foggy until 2.30 p. m., when it cleared sufhciently 

 to permit a search north to the forty-fourth parallel. Two bergs 

 were sighted about 40 miles east of the Tail. The next morning 

 while running south to search again in the southeast sector, these 

 bergs were sighted a second time and were found to have drifted 

 southwest at a 1-knot rate. This rather rapid drift was probably 

 due to the fresh to strong northerly breezes which cleared up the 

 weather having temporarilj^ accelerated the flow^ of the Labrador 

 Current along the eastern edge of the Banks. 



Five more bergs were sighted before dark on the 10th. One was 

 a small one in 42° 35' N., 49° 52' W. The other four were large 

 ones just south of the forty-second parallel between the forty-ninth 

 and fiftieth meridians. The southeasternmost ones were a pair of 

 high dry-dock type bergs located in 41° 44' N., 49° 00' W. These 

 bergs were watched on the 11th and 12th, but intermittent fog and 

 overcast weather prevented the exact determination of their drift. 

 As the bergs were in the narrow band of water between 50° and 56° 

 F. at the surface, they were melting rapidly. From their thin walls 

 vapor was curling in wisps. 



On the afternoon of the 11th many tons of finely cracked ice were 

 brought down into the sea from one of these bergs by means of 

 eleven 6-pounder shells fired for experiment into pinnacles and ver- 

 tical walls. On the 13th the only one of the bergs that remained in 

 sight broke up into a larger and a smaller part. By noon the sights 

 showed that the larger piece was drifting rapidly north away from the 

 "B" tracks. Accordingly, it was left for a more southerly report of 

 ice from 42° 03' N., 48° 41' W. This last ice, though less than 20 

 miles away, was not moving northeast, but was in a south-setting 

 eddy. On the morning of the 14th a small and a large growler, all 

 that remained of it, was in 41° 44' N., 48° 44' W. This ice was left 

 before noon for a large berg reported in 41° 34' N., 48° 11' W. A 

 small smooth berg found very close to this last position was watched 

 the remainder of the day. It rolled about frequently in melting and 

 gave oft" vapor continually to the damp air. 



On the 15th two bergs reported from farther to the west were 

 approached. They were found in 41° 34' N., 48° 58' W. in 56'' 

 surface water, and, proving to be large ones, were closely watched 

 throughout the 15th. Their drift was 80° true at the rate of about 

 1 knot. During the day several steamers passed on the westboimd 

 "B" tracks within sight of the patrol and the bergs. Conditions 

 had materially changed for the worse since these tracks were recom- 

 mended 9 days earlier, the southernmost ice being now practically on 

 the new lanes. 



