48
The latter Officer was reporting repel after a passage of 106 days
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a) and) I presume accepting the statements of the Master, not only in this but in all matters connected with the voyage, and who finding himself in trouble endeavored to shift the very great blame attaching to his conduct, to other people.
13. 3. With respect to light and ventilation, the Commissioners say there were only 12 square feet of such. My report states that there were two hatchways "one four square and the other five feet square". This amounts to 74 square feet of light and ventilation.
"The tarpaulin thrown over a spar" was not my suggestion but that of the Agent at Melbourne. I said the main hatchway had a properly fitting canvas hood to it and that this method of fitting the after hatchways of ships is better than the wooden houses. I presume the latter plan is adopted in England mainly because of the severe weather and cold which immigrant ships leaving Great Britain pass through. We deal with ships generally meeting fine weather and having thermometers frequently ranging between 80° and 90°. As instructed, wooden hatches shall be used for the future.
That I passed in silence the...