21 



Upon relief the Champlain set course for the eastern edge of the 

 Grand Banks to scout out the cold current and locate the southern- 

 most ice, arriving at the 100-fathom curve in latitude 44 °00' N., on the 

 morning of May 6. Fog prevented any scouting on that day but on 

 the morning of May 7, with good visibility, the Chamjdain searched 

 between latitudes 44° N. and 45° N., and a line 40 miles outside the 

 100-fathom curve. No ice was sighted. The following day the search 

 <vas continued to the northward along the axis of the cold current to 

 latitude 46° N. Two large bergs were located this day in the following 

 positions: latitude 45°42' N., longitude 47° 11 ' W., and latitude 45° 

 35' N., longitude 47°40' W. The Champlain drifted with the south- 

 ernmost of these bergs that night and on April 9, 10, and 11, when the 

 visibility permitted, scouted the cold current to be sure no ice drifted 

 south of this position, returning to the southernmost berg each night 

 to observe its set and drift. From April 8 to 11, this berg 

 drifted east-northeast at an average rate of 6.3 miles per day. 



On May 12, the Champlain scouted to the eastward to locate a berg 

 reported in latitude 45°23' N., longitude 45°44' W., only 24 miles 

 north of west-bound track C to determine its drift. The area was 

 thoroughly searched in the vicinity and only one growler was located, 

 apparently all that remained of the berg, in latitude 45°10' N., longi- 

 tude 45°39' W. This was then the southernmost ice. As this growler 

 was small and would last not more than 3 days in the warm water 

 and track B well to the south was the prescribed route, the Champlain 

 returned to the berg she left on May 11, during the night of May 12 

 and the morning of May 13. This berg was relocated on the morning 

 of May 13, in latitude 45°50' N., longitude 47°05' W., show^ing a con- 

 tinued northeasterly drift of about 7 miles a day. This berg, which 

 when first sighted on April 6, was a large iceberg had, during the 

 last 5 days, disintegrated with amazing rapidity. At least one large 

 growler was calved each day, and a great deal of small ice sloughed 

 off at various times so that all that remained on May 13, when it was 

 seen, was a small, very much eroded berg consisting of two separated 

 peaks hardly 60 feet high. 



The afternoon of May 13 was spent scouting to the southward in 

 the cold current to cover the area into which bergs might have drifted 

 while the patrol vessel was away on May 11. Only one growler was 

 sighted this day in latitude 45°59' N., longitude 47°43' W. On May 

 14 the Champlain searched to the northward just outside the hundred- 

 fathom curve to see if any ice was bound southward in the cold current. 

 A growler in latitude 46°18' N., longitude 46°44' W., and a small berg 

 in latitude 46°11' N., longitude 47°45' W., were the only pieces of 

 ice sighted this day. The growler was already moving eastward and 

 would not come much farther south, but the small berg was just on 

 the western edge of the Labrador Current on the hundred-fathom curve 



