MEMOIR OF HER MAJESTY'S STEAM SHIP THE MEDEA. 83 



to the other four war steamers, and who had succeeded by their adaption of boilers, 8tc. in 

 producing the best possible effects with the least proportion of fuel then known ; the wheels 

 being according to the plan of Mr. Morgan, with the revolving vertically acting paddle, of 

 which a full description is given in another part of this work. 



The masts, sails, and rigging, as well as the internal fittings, were principally propor- 

 tioned by the constructor, assisted by such modifications as the skill and experience of Capt. 

 Austen, and Mr. Peacock, the able master of the vessel, suggested. It will not be uninte- 

 resting to our nautical readers to state, that the Medea has three masts, the foremast being 

 rigged nearly as that of a brigantine ; the mainmast and mizenmast having each a lower 

 gaff- sail and gaff- topsail ; the arrangement of the standing and running rigging being so 

 adapted, that the upper masts, yards, &c., may be lowered to the deck with the greatest 

 facility, and again reinstated with little labour, thus affording the least possible resistance 

 when steaming head to wind, and yet spreading a large quantity of canvas, when under sail, 

 and all the gear in its place. 



The armament consists of two guns of great calibre, capable of carrying heavy shot fur- 

 ther than the range of the largest guns in use in sailing ships of war, and also calculated 

 to throw shells : besides these heavy pieces of ordnance, which are mounted on pivots, 

 one before the foremast, and the other abaft the mizenmast, she has less guns of con- 

 siderable weight, intended to be " transported" about the deck as occasion may require, 

 with a full proportion of small arms for a crew of 120 men, for the purpose of repelling 

 boarders, should unforeseen and improbable circumstances place her in close contact with a 

 heavy vessel of war, the obvious tactics of a war steamer being to keep out of range of an 

 enemy's guns, which she may always do by maintaining a position in the wind's eye of an 

 opponent, and assailing her adversary with very little chance of receiving any damage in 

 return, a good steamer having no difficulty in keeping to windward of the best sailing ships, 

 even in strong winds : and it is quite evident that in a calm the steam vessel may take any 

 position she pleases. 



By the seaman this will be well understood and admitted ; but we may be excused in 

 digressing to inform those less acquainted with nautical affairs, that, during the late wars, 

 particularly in the Baltic and Straits of Gibraltar, much serious damage was done to some of 

 our largest ships of war by the attacks of gun-boats during calms ; and the writer of this 

 article was once in a corvette, mounting eighteen guns, that was assailed, in a moderate 

 breeze, by a small schooner with only one long gun, which vessel being enabled by her supe- 

 rior sailing to keep out of range of the corvette's carronades, maintained for some hours a most 

 destructive action, in which the latter lost a lieutenant and twelve seamen, without having the 

 power of inflicting the slightest punishment on her pigmy and audacious opponent. 



Previous to entering into any particulars connected with the performance of the Medea, we 

 shall give the dimensions of the ship and engines, together with the immersion or draught 

 of water, the proportion of fuel carried and consumed in given times and distances, and such 

 other facts as appear to have reference thereto. 



