52 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE MIRANDA. 



ceed with any degree of safety ; and we were obliged, much to 

 our disappointment, to give up all thought of entering Mel- 

 ville Bay, both on account of the delay we had experienced 

 and the danger of getting nipped by pack ice, for every one 

 said that in such a contingency the Miranda would be crushed 

 like an egg-shell. After considerable deliberation and con- 

 sulting of authorities, it was decided that it would be safe 

 for us to proceed to the southern coast of Greenland ; for, by 

 taking the right course, there would be little danger of meet- 

 ing much ice at this time of year. Notwithstanding the 

 opinion of authorities, however, the people in general looked 

 upon us as little less than crazy for attempting to go on at all 

 after our unfortunate experience. 



A small party of our excursionists were skirting about the 

 suburbs of the town one morning, when they came across the 

 lunatic asylum, and thought they would like to inspect it. 

 They rang the bell, and the door was opened by an attendant, 

 who said that visitors were not admitted upon that day. " We 

 come from the Miranda," said one of the party, starting to 

 explain. "Oh, walk right in!" immediately responded the 

 attendant, and the door was opened wide. The party entered, 

 but with an uncanny feeling that the heavy door might close 

 upon them and bid them leave all hope behind. Meantime, 

 the hammers were drumming merrily on the Miranda night 

 and day at her wharf close by the great dry-dock at St. Johns. 

 This is one of the largest dry-docks in the world. There 

 were three vessels getting repaired in it while we lay by. It 

 was erected at a cost of $600,000. It had been dredged out, 

 and its sides were heavily timbered in steps. The vessels 

 sail in, and then the entrance is closed by a pontoon-gate. 

 The water is pumped out by pumps so large and powerful 

 that they will empty the basin within four hours. 



On July 28 the hammering ceased, the repairs were com- 

 pleted, and we started for Frederickshaab, South Greenland, 



