After this she ran regularly between Bristol and New York till the end of 1846. In April 1847 she was sold to the West India Mail Steam Packet Company, and became one of their best vessels. * * * * * At length in 1857 she was broken up by Messrs. Castle, of Vauxhall. Among those who went there to take a farewell of her before she finally disappeared was Mr. Brunel; thus he saw the last of his famous ship. NOTE (p. 235). _Dimensions of the ‘Great Western’ Steam-Ship._ Feet Inch Length from fore-part of figurehead to after-part of taffrail 236 0 Length between the perpendiculars 212 0 Length of keel 205 0 Breadth 35 4 Breadth over paddle-boxes 59 8 Depth of hold 23 2 Draught of water 16 8 Length of engine-room 72 0 Tonnage by measurement 1,340 tons Displacement at load draught 2,300 " _Dimensions of Engines, &c._ Diameter of cylinders 73½ inches Length of stroke 7 feet Weight of engines, wheels, &c. 310 tons Weight of boilers 90 " Water 20 tons to each boiler 80 " Diameter of wheel 28 feet 9 inches Width of floats 10 feet CHAPTER IX. _STEAM NAVIGATION. THE ‘GREAT BRITAIN’ STEAM-SHIP._ A.D. 1838--1847. ÆTATIS 33--42. COMMENCEMENT OF THE BUILDING OF THE ‘GREAT BRITAIN’--REPORT ON THE ENGINES (JUNE 13, 1839)--EXPERIMENTS ON THE SCREW PROPELLER--ITS ADOPTION IN THE ‘GREAT BRITAIN’--COMPLETION OF THE SHIP--HER VOYAGE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC--STRANDING OF THE ‘GREAT BRITAIN’ IN DUNDRUM BAY--LETTER TO CAPTAIN CLAXTON ON THE CONDITION OF THE ‘GREAT BRITAIN,’ AND ON THE MEANS TO BE ADOPTED FOR SAVING HER (DECEMBER 10, 1846)--REPORT TO THE DIRECTORS ON THE SAME SUBJECT (DECEMBER 14, 1846)--APPOINTMENT OF CAPTAIN CLAXTON TO SUPERINTEND THE EXECUTION OF MR. BRUNEL’S PLANS--LETTER TO CAPTAIN CLAXTON ON THE DIFFICULTIES TO BE OVERCOME (DECEMBER 29, 1846)--REPORT ENCLOSING CAPTAIN CLAXTON’S ACCOUNT OF THE ERECTION OF THE BREAKWATER (FEBRUARY 27, 1847)--REPORT ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR FLOATING OFF THE SHIP (MAY 4, 1847)--SUCCESSFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE FLOATING OPERATIONS--SUBSEQUENT HISTORY OF THE ‘GREAT BRITAIN’--_NOTE_: DIMENSIONS OF THE SHIP AND ENGINES.