withconfidenceproposedmytheoryofthegreatercarryingpowerandaccommodation，bothforcargoandpassengers，thatwouldbegainedbyconstructingthenewvesselsofincreasedlength，withoutanyincreaseofbeam。Iconceivedthattheywouldshowimprovedqualitiesinasea-way，andthat，notwithstandingtheincreasedaccommodation，thesamespeedwiththesamepowerwouldbeobtained，byonlyaslightincreaseinthefirstcost。Theresultwas，thatIwasallowedtosettlethedimensions；andthefollowingwerethendecidedon:Length，310feet；beam，34feet；
depthofhold，24feet9inches；allofwhichwerefullycompensatedforbymakingtheupperdeckentirelyofiron。Inthisway，thehulloftheshipwasconvertedintoaboxgirderofimmenselyincreasedstrength，andwas，Ibelieve，thefirstoceansteamereversoconstructed。Therigtoowasunique。Thefourmastsweremadeinonecontinuouslength，withfore-and-aftsails，butnoyards，——therebyreducingthenumberofhandsnecessarytoworkthem。Andthesteamwinchesweresoarrangedastobeserviceableforalltheheavyhauls，aswellasfortherapidhandlingofthecargo。
Intheintroductionofsomanynovelties，IwaswellsupportedbyMr。F。Leyland，thejuniorpartnerofMessrs。Bibby’sfirm，andbytheintelligentandpracticalexperienceofCaptainBirch，theoverlooker，andCaptainGeorgeWakeham，theCommodoreofthecompany。Unsuccessfulattemptshadbeenmademanyyearsbeforetocondensethesteamfromtheenginesbypassingitintovariouslyformedchambers，tubes，&c。，tobetherecondensedbysurfaceskeptcoldbythecirculationofsea-waterroundthem，soastopreservethepurewaterandreturnittotheboilersfreeofsalt。Inthisway，“saltingup“wasavoided，andaconsiderablesavingoffuelandexpensesinrepairswaseffected。
Mr。SpencerhadpatentedanimprovementonHall’smethodofsurfacecondensation，byintroducingindiarubberringsateachendofthetubes。Thishadbeentriedasanexperimentonshore，andweadvisedthatitshouldbeadoptedinoneofMessrs。
Bibby’ssmalleststeamers，theFrankfort。Theresultswerefoundperfectlysatisfactory。Some20percent。offuelwassaved；