134 THE SEA. 



are hung with rich patterns in raised gold and white, and at the angles are arabesque 

 panels, while sofas covered with Utrecht velvet, buffets of richly carved walnut- wood, 

 carpets of surpassing softness, and portihes of rich crimson silk to all the doorways, give 

 an elegance to the whole far surpassing the gigantic toy ships of ancient monarchs. 

 The paddle-wheel engines can be made to give 5,000 horse-power, and the screw-engines 

 6,000 horse-power; making 11,000 in all. 



On the 9 th September, 1859, the vessel, which had now been re-christened the 

 Great Eastern, took her first trip from the Thames under the most favourable circum- 

 stances, the weather being very fine, with a light breeze of wind, and blue sky 

 overhead. Starting with four tugs, two on the bow and two at the quarter, to 

 guide her through the narrow parts of the river, after some delay and a few slight 

 mishaps, she reached Purfleet, where she anchored for the night. At daylight on 

 the following morning, she started for the Nore, where she arrived about noon, having 

 .attained a speed of thirteen knots an hour, though going only at half-speed, her engines 

 making not more than eight revolutions a minute. From the Nore the Great Eastern 



O O 



proceeded successfully to Whitstable, where she anchored, getting under weigh there at 

 .a quarter past nine on the following morning, with a fresh breeze. After passing 

 Margate she encountered a stiff gale, in which she appeared quite at ease when large ships 

 were under double-reefed topsails, and small vessels were obliged to lie to. But an 

 unfortunate accident occurred to her when off Hastings, through the explosion of one of 

 her funnel-casings, causing the death of six men employed in the engineering department, 

 injuring various others, and. destroying nearly all the mirrors and other ornamental 

 furniture in the grand saloon. No injury was, however, done to the hull or machinery 

 -of the vessel sufficient to prevent her proceeding on her voyage to Weymouth, which she 

 reached without any further misfortune, on the afternoon of Friday, within the time 

 anticipated for her arrival. On her arrival, the pilot who had been in charge of her 

 from Deptford to Portland (Weymouth Bay) made an official report of her performances 

 to the Company, confirming, in some measure, the glowing accounts in many of the public 

 journals, and realising the sanguine expectations of the directors, though their hopes of 

 profit had been somewhat damped by the accident which, apart from the loss of life, 

 entailed an outlay of 5,000. The necessary repairs having been completed, the Great 

 Eastern proceeded from Portland to Holyhead, but without passengers as originally 

 contemplated. Starting at noon of the 8th of October she made the run to Holyhead in forty 

 hours, at an average speed of close upon thirteen knots, or more than fifteen statute 

 miles in the hour, having 011 some occasions attained a speed of fifteen knots an hour. 

 But upon the whole the expectations that had been formed of her were disappointed. The 

 paddles proved defective either in power or mode of fitting ; and the utmost speed attained fell 

 far short of calculation. It began to be suspected that the power of her engines was not 

 proportioned to her tonnage, and the ship was found to roll considerably. It should have been 

 mentioned that, whilst lying outside Holyhead harbour for the purpose of further trials, she 

 became exposed to the full fury of the hurricane of the 26th October. In this terrific storm 

 the ship behaved nobly, but was at one time in considerable danger of being driven ashore. 

 She returned to Southampton, and was berthed for the winter in Southampton Water. 



