PRINCE OLAF HARBOUR 321 



impossible, the wind being force 8 to 9 and the sea a white sheet of foam. We therefore 

 returned to the small harbour made by the two horns of Cape Constance. Owing to the 

 gusts which buffeted us all night we called this harbour Windy Cove. 



Next morning we completed the voyage to Prince Olaf Harbour with a fresh easterly 

 breeze, to which we set all sail and bowled along at 8 or 9 knots. It was the most 

 unpleasant passage we had had so far. These fjords all have very bad reputations for 

 sudden and furious winds, but I believe that Possession Bay is the worst. 



We were made very welcome by the Manager, Captain Abrahamsen, who did all he 

 could to help us and make us comfortable, both then and during all our time in the 

 north-western part of the island. Thanks to his kindness the defect in the engine was 

 soon set right. 



Prince Olaf Harbour (Chart 3) 



Having laid our moorings for the 'Alert' in the best anchorage we had found so far, 

 in 5 fathoms with a mud bottom and no swell, we proceeded with the usual triangulation. 

 There was here little or no flat ground (a very usual complaint), and the base had to be 

 measured across the reservoir. This reservoir, being covered with ice, made a good 

 though rather short base. Unfortunately, however, it was in a hollow surrounded 

 by rather steep hills, and it was a diflicult problem to find a suitable point to which 

 to extend it. By taking very great care with the angles a good extension was made. 

 The ice on the lake, owing to the rise and fall of water, was rather rotten and we 

 therefore again used wire and measured it with steel tape afterwards. Owing to the flat 

 surface the wire could be kept quite straight without much tension, and the result was 

 very satisfactory. 



The remainder of the triangulation presented no difliiculty and embraced the 

 approaches as far as Cape Crewe and Black Head. This work involved making ten main 

 stations, including Sheep Point Light and Cape Crewe Light. At Black Head O'Connor 

 had an unusually bad landing and a difficult climb to the top. He here saw a sheep which 

 had escaped from the station and had become quite wild. It appeared to be thriving, 

 though it was supposed to have been there two or three years. Elsewhere the difficulties 

 of landing were slight. 



The Inner Harbour had been reported foul the previous year, and the depth was 

 small. A great many more soundings were therefore taken than would have been the 

 case in deeper water, as the work of sounding had to be done very carefully. A small 

 area alongside the hulk had to be left, since it was occupied by the transport S.S. 

 ' Southern King': this, however, was completed afterwards on one of our later visits. 



The weather here during the first part of our stay was an agreeable change from what 

 we usually had, and the work progressed very favourably, giving rise to great hopes for 

 the season. Unfortunately this weather did not continue. Still, the work done com- 

 pared well in amount with that carried out during the same period in the previous year. 



The job of anchoring, turning, and mooring ships which go alongside the hulk always 

 presented a ticklish problem in this harbour, owing to the very restricted space. The 

 400-ft. 'Southern King' was particularly difficult to handle. It was suggested that 



