tonnage, it was found that instead of coming out at so much net register, the figures showed that she was _minus_ 7 tons! Consequently, the owner used to protest every time he was charged with harbour dues, that instead of being called upon to pay, it was really the harbour authorities who owed him. After this, it is not surprising to learn that the name of the vessel was the _Euome_. I do not suggest for a moment that this story is anything but mythical, but it is sufficiently illustrative of what may occur when the tonnage measurement rules are in a state of such confusion. It will be readily understood that it is of the utmost importance that regard be paid to the stability of the steamship, and herein is presented another of those problems which have to be taken into account and solved as easily as may be. Now, a vessel loses a great deal of her stability when she carries loose in her hold oil in bulk, grain, rice, and such movable cargoes. A similar effect is produced, of course, by the amount of free water in her tanks. For unless these features of danger are guarded against, it follows that when the ship is inclined to one side or the other by wind or wave, the cargo will cause the ship to have a worse list, and there may be some chance of her not regaining her proper trim, and turning turtle altogether. It is not so very long since a well-known cross-channel steamer which had set out for this country disappeared during the course of her voyage, and never a man lived to say how the foundering occurred. But it was known that when she set forth a portion of her deck cargo consisted of a heavy furniture van, and this, indeed, was seen floating about at the time the disaster was thought to have occurred. The conclusion generally arrived at in the minds of the best critics was that this heavy deck cargo had caused the stability of the ship to decrease to such an extent that when the ship rolled excessively she was unable to avoid rolling right over.