20 CHALLENGER 



graphs which were of considerable assistance in the survey. 

 Commander Wyatt was taken up for a reconnaissance flight over 

 the area. The day of his flight was fine and clear and he described 

 the scene ; the islands along the coast were almost literally in- 

 numerable and the general appearance from aloft of the relation 

 between land and water was that of pieces of a jig-saw puzzle 

 scattered over a blue cloth. The country inland was exceedingly 

 rough, well wooded in parts, but broken up by many inlets of 

 the sea, some running thirty miles or so inland, and with lakes 

 and ponds scattered everywhere and at all levels. The immensity 

 of the survey task was fully apparent from this height. 



Leaving a camp party at Nain, the ship hurried to Halifax at 

 the end of August for fuel and provisions and then down north 

 again, now using the easier outside route. 



Back on the survey ground the triangulation was carried sea- 

 ward on the chain of islands, and, with all the officers except the 

 Boatswain either away in camp or with daily survey parties, the 

 Captain was alone all day on the bridge as the ship moved from 

 one island to another, picking up parties from one point so that 

 they could be landed elsewhere to observe there. The ship moved 

 amongst a labyrinth of uncharted islands, rocks and shoals, feeling 

 her way, constantly under helm, and sometimes, with breakers 

 ahead, having to come astern or turn round and try another 

 passage. 



A secure anchorage was found at Ford's Harbour and thither 

 the ship often made her way back as dusk was falling, only to be 

 under way again at the first light of dawn. On Friday, 23rd 

 September, she weighed and left Ford's Harbour at daylight and 

 steamed northwards at nine knots to land a theodolite observing 

 party on an island about eight miles distant. She was taking a 

 route which she had followed in safety twice previously and 

 where no dangers had been located by echo sounding or by the 

 man looking out from the crow's nest (such a look-out was 

 always posted in these waters). The Captain was alone on the 

 bridge except for the rating watching the echo sounding machine 

 who called out the soundings every 20 seconds. The soundings 

 were between ^o and 30 fathoms, but suddenly a sounding of 2 i 

 fathoms was called, and the water then shoaled so rapidly that 

 the echo was momentarily lost, and before another sounding 



