May, 1859. DESCRIPTION OF THE BOAT. 291 



3 inches wide ; she was built with a view to 

 lightness and light draught of water, and evi- 

 dently equipped with the utmost care for the 

 ascent of the Great Fish River ; she had neither 

 oars nor rudder, paddles supplying their place ; 

 and as a large remnant of light canvas, com- 

 monly known as No. 8, was found, and also a 

 small block for reeving a sheet through, I sup- 

 pose she had been provided with a sail. A 

 sloping canvas roof or rain-awning had also 

 formed part of her equipment. She was fitted 

 with a weather-cloth 9 inches high, battened 

 down all round the gunwale, and supported 

 by 24 iron stanchions, so placed as to serve 

 likewise for rowing thowells. There were 50 

 fathoms of deep-sea sounding-line near her, as 

 well as an ice grapnel. She appeared to have 

 been originally " carvel " built ; but for the 

 purpose of reducing weight, very thin fir planks 

 had been substituted for her seven upper strakes, 

 and put on " clincher " fashion. 



The weight of the boat alone was about 700 

 or 800 lbs. only, but she was mounted upon a 

 sledge of unusual weight and strength. It was 

 constructed of two oak- planks 23 feet 4 inches 

 in length, 8 inches in width, and with an a\ee- 

 rage thickness of 2^ inches. These planks 

 formed the sides or runners of the sledge ; they 



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