142 
1802. 
November. 
Friday 2G. 
A VOYAGE TO [North Coast. 
On boring into one timber of a side from tbe bread room, one is 
sound ; but on the larbord side it is rotten. 
The stem appears to be good ; but the stemson is mostly decayed. 
The lower breast hook is decayed within side. 
The transoms, sleepers, stern post, and postson are all sound. 
The ends of the beams we find to he universally in a decaying 
state. 
The tree-nails are in general rotten. 
From the specimens we have seen of the top-sides and bends, 
we expect that the insides of them are rotten, fore and aft ; but that 
about one inch of the outside of the greater part is yet quite sound. 
After the above report, and upon due consideration, we give 
the following answers to the four questions put to us. 
1st. The ship having before made ten inches of water an hour, 
in a common fresh breeze, we judge from that, and what we have 
now seen, that a little labouring would employ two pumps ; and that 
in a strong gale, with much sea running, the ship would hardly escape 
foundering ; so that we think site is totally unfit to encounter much 
had weather. 
2nd. We have no doubt but that, if the ship should get on shore 
under any unfavourable circumstances, she would immediately go to 
pieces; but with a soft bottom and smooth water, she might touch for 
a short time without any worse consequences than to another ship, if 
she did not heel much; but altogether, we judge it to be much more 
dangerous for her to get aground in her present state, than if she were 
sound. 
3rd. It is our opinion that the ship could not hear heaving 
down on any account; and that laying her on shore might so far 
strain her as to start the copper and butt ends, which would make her 
unable to swim without vast repair. 
4tli. Mr. Aken has known several ships of the same kind, and 
built at the same place as the Investigator ; and has always found 
that when they began to rot they went on very fast. From the state 
to which the ship seems now to he advanced, it is our joint opinion, 
that in twelve months there will scarcely he a sound timber in her ; 
