CHAPTER III. 
“ So on we journey’d through the evening air, 
Gating intent far onward as our eyes 
With level view could stretch against the "bright 
Vespertine ray : and lo ! by slow degrees 
Gathering, a fog made toward us, dark as night 
There was no room for ’scaping ; and that mist 
Bereft us both of sight and the pure air.’’— Calebs Dante. 
Steam-vessels intended for the ice require to be 
not only of a very strong construction but of a peculiar 
model. It is essentially necessary that a vessel fre¬ 
quenting the Arctic seas should be full-rigged, and 
sailed, in case of a break-down of the engines, or the 
running short of coal; when the vessel would be in a 
safe condition to prosecute her voyage. The construc¬ 
tion of a ship for this purpose is also novel when com¬ 
pared with others. The sharp run and clean entrance 
into the water of a steamship has to be kept in view, 
as well as the peculiar breadth of beam necessary to 
all sailing craft to give her hold in the water, but 
something must be given up to ensure both sailing 
and steaming qualities; everything depends upon a 
judicious economy of steam propelling power with a 
small consumption of coal, so that it may last with 
