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[350] the rigging and chains that fastened the bowsprit, and brought them under the keel of the vessel. I then hauled up on the lines on one side until I got the cushioned side of the plate about opposite the hole and a little above it, with the other lines pulling up on the other side of the ship, thus holding it loosely. I then sent down a diver and he shoved the plate over the hole and held it there for a second while we hauled in on both sides and made it fast where it was. Then we began to pump. I sent the diver down again to press the plate against the hole if it was in the right place. Fortunately it was, and then the suction of the pump held the plate there firmly. Then we fastened our lines so as to assist in keeping it in the same place whether we pumped or not. This being done, it was not a long job to pump out the water, for the cushion on the plate was sucked into the hole which had been punched inwards by the anchor, and held it substantially tight, only a little water leaking through the broken part of the sheathing plate.

I then turned the job over to the carpenters to stop up the hole tightly inside, as they said they could do it. We then went to work to get our cargo on board, as it did not leak enough to do any harm, and we got ready to start. Before we started of course we took off this plate because it would be very easily driven off in the seaway. When this was done the simple pressure of the water stove the carpenters' work all to pieces, and the water came in the hole apparently faster than ever. We replaced the plate over the hole, pumped out the water again, and I undertook a little job of blacksmithing.

I had the engineers with their cold chisels cut out the little pieces of plate that had bent inwards, and smooth the rough hole inside where it had been punched in. Then I took another plate cushioned just like the first one and placed it on the inside. I put two jackscrews between the iron keelson and the sheathing of the ship over the hole, and then bound those screws so as to hold the cushion plate over the hole, as strongly as I dared to. I then put a couple of joists from the timbers above and wedged them in firmly so that the jackscrews should not work up, and I thought I had the thing reasonably tight. But as I was going up to camp I saw a barrel of rosin. I brought it down to the wharf and melted it; built a box about two feet square, one side of which was the keelson and the other side opposite the sheathing of the vessel, the box just holding the plate

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