§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, If there is any truth in the statements which had appeared in the newspapers as to the bad qualities at sea of Her Majesty's ship Warrior; and whether 191 he will state to the House the nature of any official Report which has been received at the Admiralty as to the performances of that ship during the heavy gales to which she has lately been exposed?
§ LORD CLARENCE PAGETSir, in answer to the question of the right hon. Gentleman, I have to state that we have received no official report whatever from the Warrior. She has arrived at Lisbon, and the only intelligence we have is contained in a letter from Captain Cochrane to the Comptroller of the Navy. He says—
You will be glad to hear that we have had a continuation of gales of wind. The ship behaved very well—nothing strained—no accident. We found the mainyard slightly sprung, but we fished it at sea with iron fishes, and it is now as strong as ever.He adds, at the end of the letter—The spring in the yard I do not consider has anything to do with the sailing or working of the ship.That report, it will be seen, is very favourable, and as I have been for a cruise in the Warrior myself, and encountered bad weather, I can corroborate it, and can state that I believe her to be a first-rate sea-going ship.