| Description | Written from 18 Duke Street, Westminster, London. The letter reports on the general state of progress on the Eastern Steam Navigation Company's ship. Brunel mentions that he has warned John Scott Russell that his forthcoming payments for work done on the ship may be less than he anticipates, comments on the state of progress on the principal bulkhead and the work on the outer skin of the ship and the upper deck. The report describes the decisions that Brunel is making with regard to the arrangements for launching, the details of the screw and paddles, masts and riggings and the drawings and estimates of weights that he is having made to be able to show to the Directors at their next meeting. Brunel also mentions that he hopes to show the Directors some designs for two large boats which may be fitted with small engines and possibly screws and which may be potentially used as tenders to ferry passengers ashore or as tow boats. The letter also describes the progress on the engines, and mentions that Brunel has been spending a lot of time discussing the design of the screw engine being built by Watt and Co as well as with the design for the cabins and the need to decide once and for all where the ship's first voyage will be, and any potential arrangements that will need to be made at each port, for example for examining the hull or making repairs.
See also DM162/10/12/folio 270. |