§ MR. BENTINCKasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, If he would state to the House what was the size of the chain cables which were supplied to H.M.S. "Serapis" before she left England on her last voyage, and by whom those chain cables were supplied; also what was the weight and the description of the anchors supplied at the same time to H.M.S. "Serapis," and by whom those anchors were supplied?
§ MR. HUNT, in reply, said, the size of the chain cables supplied to the Serapis was 2⅛ inches. The cables were provided for the ship by the Thames Shipbuilding Company, and were manufactured by Messrs. H. Wood and Co., of Liverpool, and were tested in the usual manner for Admiralty cables. The length next the anchor, which was where the parting took place in the Piræus, was not part of the original cable, but was substituted at Portsmouth in 1869; it was 2¼ inches, and made by Messrs. Brown, Lenox, and Co. This length was tested at Portsmouth before the Serapis left for India in 1875, and a defective link was replaced. The broken link has been returned to the Admiralty, and had been examined and found to be of good quality of iron and well welded. The anchors were 60 cwt each on Rodgers' plan. They were manufactured by the 1709 Northfield Company, and were tested and fireproved by an Admiralty officer.