71 



any direction except northwest came from warmer water areas and 

 usually gave fog. 



The lowest barometric pressure for the month, 29.50, was reached 

 on the 2d, but this depression was unaccompanied by gales, there 

 being only a few hours of fresh breezes while the wind was hauling 

 through south to southwest. The whole month saw no full 12-hour 

 periods of gales, but there was a near approach to one on the 29th, 

 when the wind averaged force 6 between noon and midnight. 



During a period of good visibility on the 4th, which was a drizzly, 

 overcast day, a berg was sighted about 10 miles off. While it was 

 being approached the cloud blanket shut down closer and closer to 

 the sea. When the berg was finally reached it was seen that its upper 

 parts were completelj^ hidden in a fog. It was then noted that the 

 patrol ship's topmast and crow's nest were also in fog, though visibility 

 still remained good at sea level. In a short time the fog shut down 

 completely. The wind was light from the north-northeast and the 

 air temperature was 42° F. This case is mentioned because it is 

 quite the opposite condition to that much more often experienced 

 where the upper layers of the air remain clear and only the lower 

 layers are foggy. 



On the 9th the ship was in warm mixed water near the long south- 

 east push of cold water mentioned above. It had been foggy, and 

 after the wind hauled to the north of west it remained so, instead of 

 quickly clearing as usual. In order that the good visibility which, it 

 was thought, must exist near by might not be lost for searching 

 purposes, the patrol stood to windward and in a short time entered 

 cold water, over which there was no fog whatever. Over the region 

 of warmer water to the southeastward the pall of fog could be seen 

 hanging throughout the remainder of the day. 



There was noticeably bad refraction on four days. On one a 

 40-foot berg was sighted 26 miles away, and a few hours later the sun 

 went down not like a round ball of fire but greatly flattened, like a 

 vertical section through a watch being lowered face uppermost into 

 the sea. On another day double horizon lines were noted for some 

 hours until continuing southerly breezes finally brought on fog and 

 rain. 



During several foggy days which were spent along the temperature 

 wall, copious showers were experienced. Some of these were regular 

 tropical downpours. From ship reports received, it is believed that 

 at the same time bright weather was prevailing over the Gulf Stream 

 drift, and the usual Grand Banks fog with clear sky overhead was 

 prevailing farther north well inside the area of cold water. At other 

 times, when cruising near the temperature wall, squalls from varying 

 directions were experienced, all of which indicates that at times along 

 the line of junction of Labrador Current and Gulf Stream there is 



