Moody to Carnarvon (Parliamentary Under-Secretary)

I have the honour to report that the expense of fitting the
2nd Vessel engaged by the Admiralty in order to adapt it to
carry a portion of the Detachment of R. Engineers to British 
Columbia would be inordinately expensive, as the vessel from
its construction is not in any way at present arranged suitably
for the purpose.

I do not therefore recommend it
with the exception of 2 men to take charge of the Stores but propose to
go on with such a division of the Stores that if the Vessels sail
at the same time we may escape any serious difficulty beyond
"loss of time" in case [an] accident
should happen to the second vessel.
I shall endeavor to get off the 2nd Vessel (the "Briseis")
which has been chartered before the 1st (the Thames City) and
immediately on my arrival will get forward some "shelter"
prepared to receive the party so as to obviate any inconvenience
that might arise from the arrival of the vessels at different times.

In short I trust by contrivance and additional energy from all
hands to provide against the objectionable but as it stands
unavoidable division of the men from a portion of the Stores.