ICELAND 91 



from surveying in Labrador to the lie-up in Hong-Kong. Just 

 such an evening developed in Franklin when she met Challenger 

 in Scapa Flow in that unhappy June of 1940, whilst the two 

 Commanding Officers transferred instructions in the 'Cuddy', 

 Challenger lay at anchor a few cables away across the Flow, 

 appearing dull and drab in her war-time coat of grey paint, the 

 tiny pom-poms on her forecastle looking hopelessly inadequate for 

 the voyage, unescorted, across the grey northern wastes to Ice- 

 land on which she was to set out next day. 



These were desperate days; there was the possibility of the 

 country being over-run by the enemy and the British were 

 determined to fight on even from Canada if need be, whither they 

 would take their fleet. In such an eventuality Iceland with its 

 spacious fjords would be invaluable as a spring-board for returning 

 to the attack in Europe. Surveying has to take account of eventu- 

 alities, for the survey must be complete before the harbours are 

 required, and such work is laborious and takes months of un- 

 disturbed and patient labour. The task in Iceland was to survey 

 at once the fine harbour of Hvalfjord on the west coast, after 

 which other good anchorages on the east coast of Iceland were 

 to be tackled. But all this work lay ahead as Challenger anchored 

 off Reykjavik, the crew knowing they would soon be working 

 harder than they had ever done in their lives. The scene was new 

 and unforgettably beautiful : away to the north-east could be seen 

 the towering flat-topped mountain called Esja, and beyond it, on 

 the opposite side of Hvalfjord, the equally precipitous Akrafjall. 

 Close round the ship and to the southward lay the little rocky 

 islets of the bay with their vivid green slopes contrasting with 

 the gay red and white houses of the town of Reykjavik. 



The British Naval Headquarters had been set up in the Borg 

 Hotel in Reykjavik and Challenger' s Captain was already ashore 

 there discussing the numerous surveying requirements for Iceland. 

 The Head of Hvalfjord on a scale of 6 inches to the mile and the 

 whole of the rest of the fjord on a scale of 3 inches to the mile 

 was decided upon. Jenks returned to the ship having added to 

 his staff a pleasant-looking student from the University, Bragi 

 Kristiansson, who would act as an interpreter when questioning 

 the local farmers as to the whereabouts of survey marks laid down 

 by the Danish surveyors years before. 



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