Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/42

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had been made, I found the vessel lying at a wharf, heavily laden with a cargo brought from the West Indies. She was a strong, snug, jaunty looking craft, and appeared to be well adapted for the peculiar service to which she was destined. Her "register" quaintly set forth that she was "A 1," that she measured one hundred and thirty-three tons burden, that she was a fore-and-aft schooner, drew eight feet of water, and was named Spring Hill. For this name we at once substituted United States, which change was, upon my memorial, subsequently confirmed by act of Congress.

The season was now growing very late. Before the vessel had been purchased it was fully time that I should have been upon my voyage, and every day's delay added to my anxiety lest I should be unable to penetrate the Baffin's Bay ice, and secure a harbor before the winter had shut out all access to the land. It was therefore with no small degree of satisfaction that I saw the schooner on the ways in the shipyard of Mr. Kelly in East Boston, and the work of refitting her going rapidly forward.

As a protection against the wear and pressure of the ice, a strong sheathing of two and a half inch oak planking was spiked to her sides, and the bows were cased with thick iron plates as far aft as the fore-*chains. Internally she was strengthened with heavy beams, crossing at intervals of twelve feet a little below the water-line, which, as well as the deck-timbers, were supported by additional knees and diagonal braces. For convenience of working; among the ice, her rig was changed from a fore-and-aft to a foretop-*sail schooner.

Owing to many unavoidable delays, the month of