TO MR. PURVES.—I recollect the stoke-hole grating, it was eight feet wide from door to door, and about three feet six inches fore and aft. Nothing more than broken water could get in through that grating. An occasional sea would perhaps pass over, but no solid water would get in there until the vessel would be over on her beam ends. There would be no difficulty in putting canvas covers on. The bunker lids were of a very ordinary type. I never knew of one to lift off yet. I can name numbers of vessels that have the same lids as the _Alert_ had. I don’t think there is anything in the suggestion that the wooden awning rendered the ship unfit to go to sea. When the awning is lying over at an angle of 45 degrees, the wind would get below it, and the vessel would be lifted up. Buoyancy would be the resulting tendency. In my opinion the _Alert_ was a stable ship, and her stability was added to by the alterations to the engine room. Her machinery including everything would weigh about 105 tons. In addition, she had two ballast tanks, one of these right foreward in the fore peak would hold fifteen tons of water, and would be most suitable for anyone desiring to trim the ship. She was a long vessel, but her proportions were not unusually long. The declaration given under the Marine Act meant that she was right without cargo. We have always to assume they may go out without any cargo. Of course cargo improves the vessel’s stability, but we have always to look at the worst side. Cross-examined by Mr. Smyth. I say the vessel was sufficiently stable for ocean-going purposes without any cargo at all. Included in the one hundred and five tons I spoke of, I allowed for coal twenty tons, water fifteen tons, weight of boiler thirteen tons, weight of engines twenty-six and a half tons, shafting six tons, and additions to engine room seven and a half tons. Then there were four tons of chain cable in her bottom. If both tanks were filled, they would hold twenty tons water ballast. I never was master of a vessel. I was at sea as engineer only, for about three years. I am accustomed to calculate the stability of ships, and that is why I am able to say this vessel was capable of going out on the ocean without any cargo. If a number of experienced men say that forty-four tons of cargo was not sufficient for the _Alert_, I would contradict them. Such men know nothing of stability. I gave evidence before the Marine Board enquiry, as I do to-day, that the boat was perfectly sea-worthy. _Q._—Do you remember that the Marine Court found, after you gave your evidence, that she was not sufficiently stable? _A._—No, I do not remember that. (Mr. Purves here objected the Marine Court did not find that the _Alert_ had not sufficient stability.)