4 cruise of THE NEPTUNE 
throughout, and of amazing strength. Her sides are formed 
of an outer sheathing of four inches of greenheart, on top of 
four inches of oak, covering heavy oak timbers, with an inside 
lining of three inches; the space between the inner and outer 
skins and the timbers is solidly filled with rock-salt, so that the 
sides of the ship are practically eighteen inches thick in all 
parts where a contact with the ice is expected. The bow is 
further reinforced by a heavy sheathing of iron plates, and 
inside it is backed with deadwood, giving it a thickness of eight 
feet. The Neptune is of 465 tons net register, and has engines 
of 110 nominal horse-power. This means that the ship 
will carry about 800 tons of coal and cargo, and that her 
engines will develop about 550 indicated horse-power; suffi- 
cient to drive the loaded ship at the rate of eight knots an hour. 
The engines, unlike most of the whaling and sealing ships, are 
placed amidships, while the vessel is rigged as a three-masted 
schooner, with low masts and little sail power. 
Early in June, 1903, I had the honour to be appointed, by 
the Honourable Mr. prefontaine, the Minister of Marine and 
Fisheries, to the command of the expedition to Hudson bay and 
northwards, on board the Neptune. I received instructions to 
proceed immediately to Halifax, to make necessary alterations 
to the ship, and to purchase all the provisions and outfit 
required for a two-years' voyage in the Arctics. 
The ship-which only had accommodation for a small 
crew-was in the same state in which she had returned from 
the spring sealing voyage. After a thorough cleaning, carpen- 
ters and machinists were put aboard, and the work of alteration 
rushed day and night. A bridge-deck, covering the boiler and 
engine, was erected, with a small chart-house upon it. Altera- 
tions were made to the after cabin, and a new saloon and 
staterooms, for the use of the scientific staff, were made 
between-decks, forward of the main hatch. The remainder of 
