266 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



The Era is over fifty years old, and was originally built for 

 a coasting packet. When her usefulness in that trade was 

 passed, some thirty years ago, she was sheathed with about three 

 inches of hardwood, and further reinforced with iron plate in 

 the bow. Little expenditure seems to have since been made by 

 the owners. The ship is now very leaky, and in such a condi- 

 tion that she could not get a British rating. During the winter, 

 when tightly frozen in, the pumps were going daily, and when 

 at sea they are almost constantly going to keep the vessel afloat, 

 while the forecastle, the home of a crew of twelve men, has 

 several inches of water on the floor, and every bunk is soaking 

 wet. This forecastle is very small, and when the small stove 

 and table are set up, the men have to crawl over one another to 

 get to their small double-decked bunks. The air is exceedingly 

 bad, and these quarters probably account, in part, for the scurvy 

 prevalent amongst the crew. The food is as antiquated as the 

 accommodation, and is confined to the staples, barrelled pork 

 and beef with biscuit left over from the Spanish- American war, 

 and returned from Cuba more or less alive; to these are added 

 coffee and molasses of the cheapest kind, and a small quantity 

 of tinned meats, preserved potatoes and dried apples, none in 

 quantities sufficient for anything approaching a daily ration; 

 no antiscorbutics, such as lime-juice, are carried. These anti- 

 quated rations are supplemented by fresh meat of the deer, seal 

 and walrus obtained from the natives, but during the winter 

 this supply is often very inadequate. 



The officers and crew numbered twenty on leaving 'New Bed- 

 ford. They consist of the captain, two mates, three boat- 

 steerers, cook, steward and twelve seamen. None of the officers 

 hold certificates, and as far as their qualifications to navigate 

 the ship are concerned, have passed no official test. 



The officers and boat-steerers are ' old hands,' having made 

 previous voyages, either to Hudson bay or to the western whal- 



