He would need two or three hands temporarily.

These were to be hired, and their car-fare back to Portland paid, at our expense.
Another matter now came up.

It was quite possible that we might encounter ice at the entrance of Davis Straits, as well as in Hudson Straits, if we should venture in there: indeed, we might be caught in the ice.

"The Curlew," though a stanch schooner, was only strengthened in the ordinary way.
"Will it not be best and safest," Raed argued, "to have her strengthened with cross-beams and braces?
A few strong beams of this sort might save the vessel from being crushed." As we were held to pay half the cost of the schooner in case of such an accident, to say nothing of our personal peril, we judged it prudent to neglect no means to render the voyage as safe as possible.
Accordingly, we went out to Gloucester, and arranged for having it done; also for getting in water and fuel.

In short, there seemed no end to the _items_ to be seen to.