10 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
measures 357 register tons gross, or 299 net. It was built and 
used for whale-tisbing in the North Polar Sea, and strengthened 
in every way necessary and commonly used for that purpose. 
Besides the usual timbering of oak, the vessel has an ice-skin 
of greenheart, wherever the ice may be expected to come at 
the vessel. The ice-skin extends from the neighbourhood of 
the under chain bolts to within from 1‘2 to 1'5 metres of the 
keel. The dimensions are :— 
Length of keel . 37 6 metres. 
Do. over deck . 43'4 ,, 
Beam extreme . 8'4 ,, 
Depth of hold . 4*6 ,, 
“The engine, of sixty horse-power, is on Wolff’s plan, with 
excellent surface condensers. It requires about ten cubic feet 
of coal per hour. The vessel is fully rigged as a barque, and 
has pitch pine masts, iron wire rigging, and patent reefing 
topsails. It sails and manoeuvres uncommonly well, and under 
sail alone attains a speed of nine to ten knots. During the 
trial trip the steamer made seven and a half knots, but six 
to seven knots per hour may be considered the speed under 
steam. Further, there are on the vessel a powerful steam- 
winch, a reserve rudder, and a reserve propeller. The vessel 
is besides provided in the whole of the under hold with iron 
tanks, so built that they lie close to the vessel’s bottom and 
sides, the tanks thus being capable of offering a powerful 
resistance in case of ice pressure. They are also serviceable 
for holding provisions, water, and coal.”^ 
We had no reason to take exception to this description,^ 
r In order to obtain sufficient room for coal and provisions most of these 
tanks were taken out at Karlskrona. 
2 The consumption of coal, however, was reckoned by Captain Palander 
at twelve cubic feet or 0’3 cubic metre an hour, with a speed of seven 
knots. 
