208 



were getting the anchors and chains out of the "Taranaki" by aid of the 

 divers, and mooring the two pontoons and the " Ladybird," — a work of con- 

 siderable difficulty ; also getting the cross bearing logs bolted together in pairs, 

 and other preliminary arrangements made. 



On the 12th July, got the stage for the divers into position; one of the 

 divers went down and opened one of the port-holes, found depth to port-holes, 

 at low-water, to be 88 feet. 



From this date up to the 21st, engaged getting lifting rods from these two 

 pontoons hooked on to the ports by the divers, which required much patience, 

 perseverance,, and repeated attempts before completion. 



The divers seem to have remained down from twenty minutes to forty 

 minutes, often over an hour, and on some occasions for one hundred and five 

 minutes. 



On the 21st July, the " Ladybird" went to Picton, and returned on the 

 23rd with the. third and fourth pontoons, and they now moored the "Ladybird" 

 in position for hauling the " Taranaki " ahead, having 60 fathoms of chain 

 ahead, and with the " Taranaki " made fast to her stern with 30 fathoms of 

 chain ; also moored the third and fourth pontoons in position, and this with 

 getting the rest of the cross logs ready, and other work, occupied until the 

 26th, on which day the diver examined, and reported on, the extent of the 

 injury the vessel had received when she struck, and which has already been 

 described. From this time up to the 6th August, getting the lifting rods from 

 the third and the fourth pontoons down and fixed, and getting the other gear 

 ready. For the scupper holes, one or two of which were used, a special hook had 

 to be extemporised, as the hooks made for the port-holes would not do for 

 them. 



Extracts from Log: — "Wednesday, 14th July, 7.15 a.m., commenced 

 work, light S.W. wind ; men rigging up gear for supporting bars, and attending 

 to diver. 



"One of the divers went down at 7. 45 a.m. to hook on, down thirty minutes, 

 went down again at 8.35 a.m., down sixty-three minutes, wanted stage shifted; 

 went down at 10.16 a.m., down twenty -nine minutes, came up, reported slide 

 too short for the port ; went down at 11 a.m. to unhook and send up the slide 

 to alter, down sixteen minutes, came up ; the other diver went down at 12.55 

 p.m., took slide with him. 



"Put hook in and secured it with slide, clown twenty-five minutes, came up 

 to shift stage ; went down to second hook at 1.40 p.m., after trying to cut 

 covering board, came up to shift stage a little aft, down twenty minutes ; went 

 down again at 2.5 p.m., down fifteen minutes, came up, could not work, tide 

 too strong ; put down bars ready for divers next day, and got blocks and 

 balance weights ready. 



"Tuesday, July 20 — Strong N.W. wind and dry weather; 8 a.m., 

 commenced. Men putting four full lengths of bars, with hooks, etc., clown, 

 ready for the diver to hook on when the tide slacked a little ; shifting stage, 

 which was foul, and took a long time to clear, on account of the tide drifting 

 it against the vessel's side ; fitting up the remainder of the sheaves on the port 

 side, and two on the starboard side, and altered the rope from the blocks to the 

 sheaves, and found the balance weights worked much better. 



" One of the divers went down and commenced to cut out and unscrew 

 port-hole No. 13, at 11.45 a.m., hooked on and came up after being down forty 

 minutes ; got refreshed a little, and went clown at 12.40 p.m. to clear away for 

 hook No. 12 ; hooked on, and screwed up and lashed up Nos. 12 and 13 to the 

 rail, and then came up : down sixty minutes. 



"Part of the men went to dinner, and part remained to shift stage and ladder 



