This ship was originally a three-decker. Coles cut her down to the lower deck, leaving a freeboard of ten feet. The sides were covered with 4½-inch iron armour. Four turrets were mounted on Coles’ roller system, the forward turret carrying two and the other three one 12½-ton guns. These turrets were generally five inches thick, but at the portholes were increased up to ten inches. They were rotated by hand power. There was one funnel, in front of which a thinly armoured conning tower was placed. Three pole masts were fitted. This ship was completed in 1864, and was fairly successful on trials. The cost of conversion was very heavy, and being wooden-hulled her weight-carrying ratio was small, 1837 tons to 3,243 tons, weight of hull. Coles was at no time satisfied with this old three-decker an a proper test of his ideas, and his agitation was so far successful that the _Prince Albert_ was presently built to his design. She was an iron turret-ship, generally resembling the _Royal Sovereign_, though carrying only one gun in each turret. Particulars of her are:-- Displacement--3,880 tons. Length--240ft. p.p. Beam--48ft. 1in. H.P.--2,130. Mean Draught--20ft. 4ins. Speed--11.65 knots. Coal--230 tons. Guns--Four 9-in. 12-ton M.L.R. To the same era belong three armoured gunboats--_Viper_, _Vixen_, and _Waterwitch_--of about 1,230 tons each, armed with a couple of 6½-ton M.L.R. guns, armour 4½ins. The _Waterwitch_, which was slightly the heavier, was fitted with a species of turbine, sucking water in ahead and ejecting it astern (a very old idea revived). This was moderately successful, as the trial speeds of the three were:-- _Viper_--8.89 knots. _Vixen_--9.59 knots. _Waterwitch_--9.24 knots. In the _Vixen_ twin screws were for the first time tried. The _Prince Albert_ was completed in 1866, the same year as the _Bellerophon_. Long before she was completed, Coles was agitating for the application of his principles to a sea-going masted ship. [Illustration: THE _WATERWITCH_, COMPLETED 1867.] Sir E. J. Reed has left it on record that his attitude in the matter was that of an interested observer. He was at no time blind to the advantages that the turret system conferred; but, unlike the Coles’ party, he was equally observant of its disadvantages. At a very early date he threw cold water on the masted turret-ship idea, and insisted that for a sea-going turret-ship to become practicable she must be mastless. He further pointed out that for a given weight eight guns could be mounted broadside fashion for four carried in turrets. He developed his own ideas in the _Hercules_, laid down in 1866. The _Hercules_, except that recessed ports were introduced to supply something like end-on fire to the battery, was an amplified _Bellerophon_. Particulars of the _Hercules_ (which was always a very successful ship) are:--