After the launch in 1898, and while the building was being completed the ship was 

 ordered to join the deep-sea expedition in the East-Indian Archipelago conducted by Prof. 

 1 )r. Max Weber. It was therefore equipped with appliances and machinery necessary for this 

 purpose. 'This work was executed at the Government dockyard in Amsterdam under the stiper- 

 vision of Professor Weber and with the co-operation of the commander and the Naval Architect 

 J. vax der Struik, who had superintended the building of the ship from the beginning. 



The principal appliances used in the deep-sea exploration are illustrated on Plate I — III 

 and in the following figures. 



For the manipulation of the heavier nets, (trawls, dredges and vertical nets) a steel wire 

 rope was used 10000 metres long, wound on a reel, situated between decks forward. This 

 cable or dredge-rope consisted of two lengths coupled together by a plate joint. 



The inner-length of 4000 metres, was 1 2 millimetres in diameter, the otiter-length of 

 6000 metres, had a diameter of 10 millimetres. On arrival in the East-Indies another 6000 metres 

 of rope of 10 millimetres w-ere taken on board as reserve, while for the fishing with closing 

 nets etc. 2000 metres of rope of 8 millimetres and 2000 metres of 6 millimetres were added. 



These wire ropes were supplied by Th. and Wm. Smith of Newcastle upon Tyne and 

 Hamburg. Their weights and breaking strains were respectively : 



The ropes were of excellent quality. No breakages occurred either in trawling or in 

 dredging, except such as resultecl from twisting when paying out, in consequence of which 

 pieces had occasionally to be cut off, the total loss during the voyage amounting to 800 

 metres. Besides this, 200 metres were lost when weighing anchor at the Lucipara-islands, and 

 the 10 millimetres rope had to be cut in one place on account of the snapping of a strand; 

 the two ends were spliced together again. 



The lead of the dredge-rope C (Plate I — III) as decided upon after some alterations had 

 been made, was for the lowering of the nets as follows: 



From reel V situated between decks forward, it passecl through the blocks d and c with a 

 few turns round starboard friction stopper Jf to the deck; then round another friction-stopper Z, on 

 to tin; odometer />, from there over the steel-blocks «, <z, «, from the top of the boom B overboard. 



lor winding in the dredge-rope the steam-capstan K was used, the chain groove of 

 which was temporarily fitted with a circular rim of strong wooden blocks protected with gun- 

 metal clamps. 



The diameter of this rim was 0.93 metres, or about twice the size of the top of the 

 capstan. The object of this contrivance being to obtain the advantage of the greater circum- 

 ference, and to secure a Iower position for the dredge-rope on the capstan. 



Later on another similar arrangement of blocks was made more suitable for very great 

 lis. having a reduced diameter of 0.59 metres. 



