APPENDIX. 
403 
and uninterruptedly. Add to this, that she is built of 
iron,—that is to say, an iron sheet of about two centi¬ 
metres thick constitutes all her planking,—and that her 
deck—divided into twelve great panels, is so weak that 
it has been thought incapable of carrying guns propor¬ 
tioned to her tonnage. Those wdio have seen the massive 
vessels of the fishermen of Peterhead, their enormous 
outside planking, their bracings and fastenings in wood 
and in iron, and their internal knees and stancheons, 
may form an idea from such precautions—imposed by 
long experience, of the nature of the dangers that the 
shock—or even the pressure of the ice—may cause to a 
ship in the latitudes that we were going to explore. 
##•£**** 
The “ Oocyte ” had also been placed at the disposal 
of H. I. H. Prince Napoleon. This vessel, which arrived 
at Reykjavik the same day that we did, the 30th of 
June,—is a steam schooner, with paddles, standing the 
sea well, carrying coals for twelve days, but with a 
deplorably slow rate of speed. 
We found besides at Reykjavik the war transport 
“ La Perdrix” and two English merchant steamers, 
the “ Tasmania” and the “Saxon” freighted by the 
Admiralty to take to Iceland coals necessary for our 
voyage to Greenland. These five vessels, with the frigate 
“ Artemise” which performed the duties of guardsliip, 
formed the largest squadron which had ever assembled 
in the harbour of the capital of Iceland. 
Unfortunately, these varied and numerous elements 
had nothing in common, and Commodore de la Ronci&re 
soon saw that extraneous help would afford us no addi¬ 
tional security; and in short, that the “ Peine Hot tense” 
-—obliged to go fast—as her short supplies would not 
allow long voyages, had to reckon on herself alone. 
However, the [English] captain of the “Saxon” ex- 
D D 2 
