R.R.S. 'DISCOVERY' 157 



The chart house, apart from the usual furnishings, contains several special features: 

 a chronometer box for three chronometers with electric lights for keeping the box at a 

 constant temperature, a distance thermograph for giving continuous readings of the 

 temperature of the water at a few feet below the surface, and an echo-sounding 

 apparatus for dealing with soundings up to about 130 fathoms.^ In addition to the 

 above an experimental deep-sea echo-sounding apparatus was originally installed, but 

 proved ineffective owing to loud water noises. After the sister keels had been fitted 

 in 1926 these noises increased to such an extent as to render the apparatus un- 

 serviceable. 



The wireless cabin contains two separate Marconi wireless sets, each of i^ kw. 

 capacity ; one set being the well-known quench-gap type and the other the continuous 

 wave type. With this apparatus communication was on one occasion successfully main- 

 tained up to as much as 2680 miles. 



The deck laboratory is fully described on p. 169. 



The two deck houses referred to above — the entrance to the crew's quarters and 

 galley and the midship deck house — are both of exceptional strength, the coamings 

 being of heavy section teak, and the sides constructed of two thicknesses of teak, 

 clinched together and with insulation between, making a very strong combination to 

 withstand the severest weather conditions. 



A large teak skylight is placed between the main-mast and the after end of the midship 

 deck house, to supply light and air to the wardroom and the cabins which communicate 

 with it. 



At the forward end of the boiler casing a large steel house 10 ft. long and 16 ft. broad 

 is erected to enclose the steam winch. The engine and boiler casings extend from the 

 fore side of the mizen-mast to the after side of the winch house. On either side of the 

 engine room casings is a series of ice tanks, fitted with steam pipes and with connections 

 to the freshwater tanks. The tanks can thus be used for watering ship from ice when 

 ordinary supplies are not available. Both casings and tanks are of steel, as originally 

 fitted to the vessel. A single hatch is fitted abaft the engine casing on the after deck, 

 for access to the sail and canvas store. A hand steering gear is fitted near the fore side 

 of the propeller trunk hatch for use when under sail alone. 



Two teak houses, constructed similarly to the houses on the fore deck, are arranged 

 at the after end of the vessel abreast of the propeller trunk and inset from the rail. 

 In these houses are included the lamp locker on the starboard side and an ammunition 

 store on the port side, each provided with a small hatch giving sheltered access to the 

 after peak. Large gratings are fitted at about half the height of the bulwarks at the 

 extreme after end of the ship, covering the steering gear leads and tiller and afl^ording a 

 platform for handling nets. 



The lighting of the compartments below deck is effected by means of deck lights. 

 Port lights in the side of the ship would have been a danger in ice navigation and, in 

 a wooden vessel, are difficult to arrange without materially reducing the strength of the 

 1 For an explanation of this method of sounding see Nature, March 29, 1924, p. 463. 



KlI 3 



