| Description | The letter explains that Brunel had wanted to meet with Captain Claxton. The body of the letter is marked Private and explains that the Directors [of the Great Ship Company] are about to arrange with S. Russell to do the several things remaining on the Great Eastern and that Brunel must therefore list all the tasks remaining on the ship. Brunel asks Claxton to ask the Captain if there is anything relating to the decks and cabins that needs to be attended to and asks him to check himself on whether the steering is interfering with the aft cabstan (or capstan) bars. Brunel also asks Claxton to check on several other matters or give instructions for these matters (including the paddle axels) to be checked. The sheet has been folded in half to create a total of four pages and the lower part of the third and fourth pages has been torn away, leaving some gaps in the text. |