A small item on page 480 reported that the iron-built 10 gun brig Recruit recently arrived at Blackwall, England coming from Portsmouth, England where she was given back by the Royal navy to the shipyard. The newly built brig made just one trials but was considered to be a failure. However there were doubts if the trial was executed in a good reliable manner while the experts of the royal shipyards had a (probably correct) prejudice against iron-built ships.(1)
Note
1. In the Royal Navy served between 1846 and 1849 a iron-hulled brig HMS Recruit. Her building by the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company (Thomas J. Ditchburn&Charles Mare), Bow Creek-River Thames at Leamouth Wharf also known as Blackwall was ordered on 6 May 1844, tender accepted 22 June, named 20 July, she was launched on 10 June 1846, fitted out at Sheerness, England 17 June-29 August, and already sold back to her builders for 4.500 pond, on 28 August 1849. Three years later sold to the General Screw Steam Shipping Company was she converted into the merchant screw steamship Harbinger used as a mail packet. Her original specifications were an armament of 12 guns consisting of 2-18pd and 10-32pd guns, a builders measurement of 461 63/94 tons and as dimensions 92’5” (keel)-114’5” (gundeck) x 30’7¾”(for tonnage) 30’8.5” (over all)x 13‘10“ x 7‘11“(fore)-12‘3“ (aft). She was in fact the only sea-going British iron-built wars sailing vessel.
