as to materials, fastening, strength, and model.

"Question third: 'And if so, what alterations would be necessary
to be made, and at what expense, to make them war steamers of the
first class:'

"Answer: If these vessels had been originally constructed
comformably to the _spirit_ (though it was not called for by the
letter) of the contracts, as they should have been, and all
English mail steamers now are, _in anticipation of their possible
conversion, into war vessels_, the cost of converting them would
be much less.

"Most of them were completed before I was ordered to their
supervision; but I lost no time, after entering upon the duty, in
calling the attention of the contractors to this important
consideration, an observance of which would not have added more
than one per cent upon the cost of construction.

"In altering these vessels so as to make them available for war
purposes, the most simple, expeditious, and economical plan would
be to razee them, or cut off their upper decks and cabins forward
and abaft the wheel-houses; not by tearing them to pieces and
defacing the costly ornamental work, which, though of no value to
the Government, still need not be destroyed.

"The razeeing should be effected by sawing the top timbers, and
cutting off by sections the whole of the upper dock, excepting the
space between the wheel-houses, thus leaving the greater part of
the main deck exposed and for the accommodation of the armament,
and enough of the sides above that deck to answer for bulwarks and
side-ports.

"Below, it would only be necessary to remove the state-rooms not
wanted for the accommodation of the officers, and convert the
after-hold and fore and main orlops into magazines, store-rooms,
shot and shell lockers, etc., etc.

"According to my calculation, the cost of the conversion of either
of the before mentioned vessels, exclusive of armaments, repair of
machinery and ordinary repair, would not, or certainly _ought_
not, exceed, for steamers of the first class, $20,000, and for
those of the second class, $15,000; and it could be readily done
for this at any of our navy yards, provided that _useless_
alterations were not made.

"It should be taken into view that those mail steamers, if called
into service as war vessels, would be considered as form