I remember the bunker holes for shipping the coal. I fixed them in. Each had a cast-iron frame sunk in the deck. The covers were about sixteen inches in diameter. They were flush with the deck, and were only held in their places by their own weight. In the case of a vessel dashing about heavily with water rolling inside, those covers might get knocked off, and the stoke-hole would be filled direct from the sea. If a lug were placed on the lower part of the cover, and a half-turn given, then it would stay on and prevent water going down. The _Alert’s_ covers had no lugs. The weight of her boiler and engines would be about one hundred and fifty tons. The weight of the water in the boiler would be twenty-three to twenty-five tons. Taking into consideration the ship’s cargo, build and trim, I do not think she was fit for a sea voyage. If she had had an after mast with a sail on, it might have helped a bit when efforts were made to bring her to the wind; but as long as she was so light foreward she would be hard to bring up, if not impossible. The light cargo would affect her stability. She was not fit to stand a gale of wind. She was right enough for the Bay trade; but with my experience at sea, I say she was not safe, and I would not have gone to sea in her. She had very little freeboard aft and too much foreward. I know the awning that was over her. It was wooden and permanently fixed. When the vessel was lying over, the wind would get under it and prevent her from righting herself. The proper awning at sea is canvas. In bad weather a vessel is better without any awning. Cross-examined by Mr. Purves: _Q._—You have described yourself as a chief officer? _A._—Yes; I will show you my discharges if you like. Mr. Purves: Oh, I don’t want to see them. What vessels were you chief officer of? _A._—The S. S. _Omeo_, and also two sailing ships. _Q._—Did you examine the lines of the _Alert_? _A._—Yes; I saw her out of the water in the dry dock in the River Yarra. In most good trust worthy ships’ bottoms there is a floor running a long way foreward and aft; but when working in the after hold of the _Alert_, the floor was so fine that one could not stand on it. _Q._—What height was the casing around the engine room and stoke-hole? _A._—It was about seven feet above the deck of the vessel, and when the doors on each side are closed the only way water can get in is through the top. _Q._—Did you ever see a sea go as high as that? _A._—I have seen a sea go over a ship’s foretopsail yard. _Q._—What ship was that? _A._—The _Royal Bride_. Mr. Purves: The _Royal Bride_, I presume, stood on her head to accomplish that remarkable feat. (Laughter.) _Q._—Seas that would go over the topsail yard would also go down the funnel? _A._—I should say so. I have seen steamers at Greymouth with bags tied over the funnel.