The boat had for some time lain half-buried in shifting sands at the mouth of an African river.
The underwriters would be lucky if they sold her for old iron.
Cartwright weighed the cost of floating.

If he employed a regular salvage company, this would be high, because they would bargain for a large part of the value recovered; his plan was to do the job himself, with cheaper appliances than theirs.

The trouble was, he could not go out and superintend.

He was too old, and one ought to be an engineer; Cartwright had grounds for imagining the job was rather an engineer's than a sailor's.

Well, he knew a young fellow who would not be daunted and would work for him honestly, but to get the proper man was not all.
He pondered about the money.