37 



The following is a summary of ice and water temperature reports 

 received during the cruise: 



Number of water temperature reports received 1, 203 



Number of ice reports received 114 



Number of vessels furnishing ice reports 61 



Number of vessels furnishing water temperature reports 81 



Number of vessels furnished special information 23 



EIGHTH CRUISE "CHAMPLAIN," MAY 24 TO JUNE 3, 1937 



The Champlain departed Halifax, Nova Scotia, at 0607, May 23, 

 1937, for ice patrol. The voyage to the relieving point was uneventful 

 but hampered by fog and haze with light easterly and southeasterly 

 winds prevailing. The Mendota was met in latitude 44°40' N., 

 longitude 56°30' W. Lt. G. Van A. Graves, ice observation officer, 

 and the observer's party reported aboard and at 1700, May 24, 1937, 

 the Champlain relieved the Mendota as ice patrol vessel. 



During the next 2 days the Champlain thoroughly scouted out the 

 area south and southwest of Cape Race from which the major part of 

 the ice reports had been coming for the past month. Nineteen large 

 bergs were found in tliis area in widely scattered positions extending 

 from Cape Race to the south and southeast to latitude 46°15' N., and 

 west to longitude 55° W. The next day, May 27, the Champlain ran 

 northeastward along track F to latitude 48° N. Only two bergs were 

 found along tliis route in the following positions: latitude 46°49' N., 

 longitude 51°46' W., and latitude 46°42' N., longitude 51°10' W. 



On May 28 and 29, the Champlain searched out an area of 11,400 

 square nautical miles from longitude 46°21' W., to 48°40' W., between 

 latitudes 46° N., and 48° N. This area is an important one through 

 which any bergs enroute southward to the Tail of the Banks must pass. 

 Since the first of May only one ice report has come from this region, 

 i. e. four bergs in latitude 47°30' N., longitude 46°55' W., on May 25. 

 These bergs were not found nor was any other ice discovered in this 

 area. The next day. May 30, dense fog prevented any scouting until 

 1316, when the weather cleared with westerly winds. In the after- 

 noon the Champlain scouted northwestward along the 100-fathom 

 curve from latitude 47°33' N., and located a small berg in latitude 

 48°07' N., longitude 49°02' W., and stopped to drift for the night. 

 The patrol vessel drifted with the berg the next day and relocated it 

 the morning of June 1, in latitude 48°08' N., longitude 48°26' W., 

 having drifted 25 miles almost due east in 32 hours. This berg was in 

 the coldest water on the northeastern edge of the Banks where normally 

 the current runs southeastward and southward down the eastern edge 

 of the Banks. However, this berg's drift seemed to be entirely con- 

 jtrolled by the light to moderate southwest winds on May 30 to June 1, 

 jand showed no tendency to move southward with the hypothesized 

 current. If the drift of this berg proves to be truly indicative of the 



