NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 5 



latter boats were topped into the rigging. The pinnace (see fig. l) was specially adapted 

 for dredging in harbours and in shallow water. A small engine was fitted on the top of 

 the boiler, and was used for hauling in dredging and sounding lines, and a small derrick 

 could be erected forwards, whilst in the bow there was a dredging platform ; the dredge 

 rope being coiled away on the bottom in the after part. 



Main Deck. 



On the main or gun deck special cabins and workrooms were built ; the after part 

 was, as is usual in all ships, appropriated for the use of the Captain, who in this case shared 

 his accommodation with the Director of the Civilian Staff. Outside the foremost bulk- 

 head of the captain's cabin two large workrooms were built, one on each side of the ship, 

 18 feet in length by 12 in breadth, the room on the port side being appropriated to the 

 use of the naturalists, whilst that on the starboard side was used by the surveying 

 officers as a chartroom. On the foremost bulkhead of the captain's cabin the barometer 

 was hung. 



Zoological Laboratory. — The zoological laboratory (see fig. 2) was lighted by two sky- 

 lights and a port fitted with a pair of windows, whilst the bulkhead separating it from the 

 main deck was provided with ground glass sash windows, so as to afford further fight. Two 

 dressers reaching the whole breadth of the room were fixed, one at each end, and beneath 

 these were constructed a series of drawers, four large cupboards, and a pair of knee-hole 

 spaces to afford places for seats. The drawers were fitted with a series of sockets for 

 bottles of various sizes, and with compartments to contain instruments of all kinds, 

 which were thus secured from injury by the motion of the vessel. It was found very 

 convenient to have several of the cupboards fitted inside with air-tight zinc linings, or 

 rather complete zinc boxes, each having an opening in its front, about a foot square. 

 The edges of the opening were framed with wood with a projecting ledge, against which 

 fitted a wooden lid, which closed the opening, and was held in position by a couple of 

 buttons. With the edges of the lids greased, the zinc cupboards became air-tight and 

 damp proof, and plants and other objects, when once thoroughly dried by artificial heat 

 and packed into them, were perfectly secure from the effects of the saturation of the air 

 with moisture, which in many regions is one of the greatest obstacles to contend with 

 when preparing specimens on board ship. The ordinary cupboard door of mahogany 

 protected the face of the zinc lining from injury. All round the dresser next to the bulk- 

 head was fitted a rack to hold large wide-mouthed bottles, and other racks, perforated to 

 hold tube3 or smaller bottles, were fixed to the ship's side or the bulkheads wherever space 

 was available. These racks proved of the greatest service. In weather at all rough it is 

 most important that plenty of such racks should be ready to hand, so that bottles containing 



