8 



extending 150 miles southeast of Scatari Island and heavy solid pack 

 ice extending across the entrance of the bay. Navigation in the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence River was delayed this year, the 

 first vessels passing up the Gulf on April 20th escorted by the A^. B. 

 McLean. It is estimated that 134 bergs drifted south of latitude 

 48°N., during the month of April. Ice conditions for the month are 

 graphically shown on the April ice chart. (See fig. 4.) 



MAY 



The Labrador field ice tongue continued to occupy its position over 

 the northern sector of the area until tracks F became effective on 

 May 16. At that time, vessels which were previously forced to 

 detour to the southward on tracks E to avoid heavy pack ice, began 

 to use the northerly route and reported scattered heavy open pack 

 ice with many bergs and growlers. Within a few days after the 

 opening of tracks F the pack ice completely disappeared from both 

 tracks E and F. Tliis season the Labrador field ice tongue menaced 

 vessels on tracks E until a later date than in any year in the history of 

 Ice Patrol. There were numerous bergs contained in the field ice, 

 however, the actuaj number is not known because the wide expanse 

 of ice was impenetrable. Wlien the field ice melted these bergs 

 were distributed over a wide area to the south, southeast, and east of 

 the Grand Banks. The first contingent of these bergs that remained 

 in the Labrador Current arrived in the vicinity of the Tail on May 20. 

 Their observed drift followed the pattern of the current chart com- 

 pleted May 3, i. e., the contour of the Tail of the Banks west to 

 longitude 51°30' W., from that point completing the shape of a 

 horseshoe to latitude 41°30' N., longitude 49°00' W.. and then 

 followed an easterly course until they melted. 



At the end of the month conditions between latitudes 43°00' N., 

 and 47°30' N., were unknown because of the shift of Canadian traffic 

 from tracks E to tracks F and only an occasional vessel crossed the 

 Banks between these parallels. As only a few of the bergs, com- 

 pared to the number that were believed to be in the field ice, arrived 

 at the Tail of the Banks; it is believed that many of them moved to 

 the eastward and melted in the mixed warmer water before they 

 could be included in the berg count. In view of this situation the 

 berg count for the month of May is believed to be considerably less 

 than the actual number of bergs that drifted into the Ice Patrol area 

 south of latitude 48°00' N. On May 27 and 28 a total of 23 bergs 

 were sighted by the patrol vessel in the cold water south of the Banks. 

 Three of the bergs and several growlers were drifting in westbound 

 track A, the southernmost being in latitude 40° 17' N., longitude 

 50°09' W. Several bergs were found close to the line marking the 

 separation of the cold water from the warm. At that time the cold 



