446 Arctic and Antarctic Exploration [part 11 
•I considered it necessary, as did Sir William White, 
that a wooden ship should be specially built for the 
service. In consultation with Captain Creak, R.N., C.B., 
Superintendent of compasses at the Admiralty, I found 
that he also thought it necessary from the point of view 
of magnetic observations. Sir William White advised me 
to secure the services of Mr W. C. Smith, C.B., of the 
Controller's Department at the Admiralty, to prepare the 
designs and specifications. Mr Smith very kindly under- 
took the duty, with the permission of Admiral Sir Arthur 
Wilson, the Controller. A Ship Committee was appointed 
on April 10th, 1899, meeting first on the 26th 1 . 
It was decided that the ship should be of wood, and 
that the lines of the old Discovery of the 1876 expedition 
should be followed as closely as possible. It was then 
considered whether the new ship should have a midship 
section, like the Fram, of a peg-top character to facilitate 
her rising to ice pressure, but as there is not the same 
likelihood of severe nips in the south, it was thought 
better to have an ordinary section, with a view to the 
probability of heavy weather conditions. A complement 
of 43 souls was to be arranged for, with accommodation 
equal in all respects to a man-of-war of the same size, 
and there was to be stowage for two years' provisions 
and 335 tons of coal. The ship was to be of 400 i.h.p. 
and fitted with a two-bladed lifting screw. Mr Smith 
adopted a special plan for shipping and unshipping the 
rudder. 
That the ship should be absolutely free from magnetic 
qualities was impossible, owing to the engine and boilers. 
But in order that there should be as little as possible, 
steel and iron were excluded from a space having a 
radius of 30 feet from where the magnetic observatory 
was placed. 
Instead of the usual square stern, a round form of 
stern was adopted, which gave better protection to the 
1 The Committee consisted of the following persons : — 
Sir Clements Markham, Pres. Rear-Admiral Sir George Egerton, 
Admiral Sir Leopold M'Clintock. Sir John Murray. 
Vice- Admiral Pelham Aldrich. Admiral Sir George Nares. 
Captain Ettrick Creak, R.N. Admiral Sir Albert Markham. 
Admiral Sir R. Vesey Hamilton. Rear-Admiral Sir William Wharton. 
Admiral Sir Anthony Hoskins. Captain Field (Hydrographer). 
