106 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE 



for tacking against head-winds made it undesirable to heave to. 

 Besides this, the sea was so rough and winds so strong that the 

 results would have been doubtful. The other researches were 

 uninterrupted, however. By proper vigilance we were able to 

 spot the sun in the mornings and evenings, long enough to get 

 good declination measurements. 



So on July 20, we came to anchor at Reykjavik, the capital 

 city of Iceland. The first to meet us was an old friend of former 

 cruises, Mr. Sveinston, a journalist. When the Carnegie had 

 arrived here in 1914, from her long voyage to Spitzbergen, this 

 gentleman brought the news that war had broken out in Europe. 

 But this time he could not surprise us so readily, for we had been 

 constantly in touch with shore through our radio schedules with 

 amateurs scattered all over the world. Mr. Sveinston kindly 

 offered us his services as guide, should we have time to make any 

 excursions into the interior. 



We were playing a phonograph record, "Fifty Million French- 

 men Can't Be Wrong," when we heard a strange voice in the 

 chart-room humming the chorus. It proved to be Monsieur 

 Simon, the French Consul! He introduced himself as an old 

 resident of Washington where he had served in the French Con- 

 sular Service. Monsieur Simon at once offered us the use of his 

 home, and lost no time in arranging a round of social activities 

 on shore. 



Days were literally endless in Reykjavik. There was no night 

 at all. One day merged into another with only a short period of 

 midnight dusk to mark their passing. Perhaps this is why the 

 party could condense so many varied activities into our week's 

 visit. When the official day's work was over at four or five o'clock, 

 there were still almost eight hours of daylight in which to amuse 

 ourselves. 



For those who wish to take walks there are hot springs and 

 geysers to see, volcanic craters to explore. Green meadows and 

 flower-gardens are inviting. There are highways to travel over 

 by auto. The harbor is alive with interesting creatures. Giant 

 medusae, some measuring many feet in length, float alongside 

 the ship. Sea-parrots, eider-ducks, and cormorants, fly by on 

 their way between the numerous islands in the bay. 



