t-defence ships," from the circumstance that
they were constructed mainly for home service.

Of these "English monitors," four--the _Cyclops_, _Gorgon_, _Hecate_,
and _Hydra_--are built on identically similar principles. In appearance
they may be best compared to a raft with a battery on top of it, from
which fortress or battery rise various funnels and a flag-staff. The
deck is but three feet and a half above the level of the sea. While the
ships are in port the deck is roofed in with an awning and railed round;
but both awning and railing are removed when the vessels put to sea.

The battery or fortress is in the centre of the ship, and fills up about
one-third of her length and three-fourths of her breadth. The
surrounding deck is flush, its surface being broken only by the
skylights, which are three in number. The skylights allow but a scant
and dim light to penetrate to the officers' and seamen's quarters below;
but even this is wanting in time of action, when a shot-proof shield
takes the place of the glass windows.

The deck of the dass of war-ships we are describing is composed of
twin-layers of iron plating half an inch each in thickness, supported on
iron beams, and of two layers of solid teak lining four inches thick.
The sides of the ships are protected by iron plating of eight-inch
thickness amidships, which is an inch more of iron than the armour
possessed by the majority of our masted sea-going ironclads, many of
which are twice or thrice the size of the _Cyclops_ and her
sister-ships. It will thus be seen that these turret-ships are
practically stronger in defensive equipment than any other class of
ironclad cruisers.

The battery of these vessels is surrounded by a breastwork six feet in
height, plated with nine-inch armour. Entrance is gained to the turrets
themselves from inside this breastwork. In the centre of the turret
there are two cylinders, the one fitting over the other in a manner
which keeps the whole steady even in rough weather. Small steam-engines
placed inside the breastwork serve to turn the turrets, which, however,
can also be worked by manual labour should necessity demand it.

The ports present a striking contrast to those in the old wooden ships,
by reason of their greatly diminished size. They just admit of the
muzzle of the gun peeping through, and no more, being oval in shape, and
about three feet in diameter lengthways. There can be little doubt that
these small