CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



wood planking. The timbers and planking in all are very heavy, 

 and the sides are further strengthened by a sheathing of green- 

 heart or ironbark, both exceedingly hard, tough woods. This 

 sheathing extends from above the water-line to near the keel ; 

 the planks forming it are from three to six inches thick, and 

 are capable of resisting great pressure from the ice, as well as 

 withstanding its cutting action which would soon wear through 

 unprotected sides. The bows are further strengthened by being 

 backed by several feet of solid timber, while, outside, thick 

 plates and bands of iron protect the bow and stem. The sides 

 are also strengthened by a layer of rock-salt, filled in between 

 the timbers and between the skin of the ship, and by an inside 

 sheathing fastened to the timber, so that with the outside 

 sheathing of greenheart, the planking and the salt-filling, the 

 sides are from eighteen to twenty-four inches thick. Notwith- 

 standing this great strength, the usual fate of these ships is to 

 be crushed in the ice. 



The ships are three-masted and barque rigged, differing in 

 appearance from an ordinary wooden barque by the presence of 

 large barrels fitted to the tops of the fore and main masts, and 

 used for observation stations when working the ship through 

 ice or when chasing whales. The small engine and boiler are 

 placed aft, between the main and mizzen masts, where the 

 strong deck beams can be best spared. The engine works a two- 

 bladed propeller, which drives the ships at rates varying from 

 four to seven knots an hour. 



The lower hold of the ship is filled with a number of iron 

 tanks that rise to the level of the middle deck, and which are 

 used to store the blubber. On leaving home all these tanks are 

 filled with coal, which is also stowed in every other available 

 space, the usual amount of coal for the voyage being from 250 

 to 300 tons. The between-deck space is used for stowing provi- 

 sions, and for the quarters of part of the crew. 



