HKong & Whampoa Dock Co. Limited.
HongKong, 12th. May, 1893.
172
Dear Mr. May,
In reply to your letter of yesterday regarding the cost of a small steam launch to replace the pulling boats which now patrol the harbour. The dimensions given by Mr. Cooke: Length 35 feet; Beam 7 feet; Depth 4 feet and Speed 8 knots are those of a small launch we built for Australia some time ago, and in my opinion would suit your requirements very well. The boat would be open fore and aft with a bulkhead in front of the stokehole and another abaft the engines.
Hull to be of teak, all copper fastened and sheathed with muntz metal to 6' above the load line. Ground tackle, lamps, awnings, water tanks &c., to be supplied. Engines to be one pair compound non-condensing with feed heater in the back column. Diameter of cylinders 5 & 9" with a stroke of 5". All main bearings to have gun metal bushes adjustable with wrought iron caps. Link motion for reversing, propeller shaft of Stone's phosphor bronze run in lignum vitae bush; propeller of gun metal with four blades. Boiler of mild steel built to the Board of Trade rules for a working pressure of 120 lbs. to a square inch. Diameter 42"; Length 50" and fitted with all necessary mountings of the most modern type. The workmanship and material to be all of the best description & to be delivered in four months ready for service for the sum of $2,750. If the engines are preferred to be surface condensing an additional $700 will be charged.
The crew for a