Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/482

 420 SURVEY OP THE INTERTROPICAL lO. pig of ballast; and some chaiu plates that we sep had fortunately taken from the Frederick's wreck, and some bar-iron, which was brought out from England by the Dromedary, enabled us to place our vessel in a state of security, which we were by no means in before.

In order to connect the keel and stern-post, both of which were almost separated from the frami of the vessel, two bolts, each' twenty-four inches long, were driven up obliquely through the keel, and two of the same size horizontally through the stern-post, into the dead wood ;' be- sides which, they were also united-by a stout iron brace, which was fitted under the keel, 'and up each side of the stern-post; by which method the injury appeared to be so.ell repaired, that we had no fears for our safety if the weather should be but moderately fine. These repairs were completed by the iSth, 8. but, just as we were congratulating ourselves uporf having performed them, a fresh defect was discovered, which threatened more al_arming con- sequences even than the other: upon stripping off some sheets of pper, the spike nails, which fast- ened the planks, were found to be decaying; and many were so entirely decomposed by oxidation, that a straw was easily thrust through the vacant -holes. As we had not nails enough to replace Digitized by Googlc

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