THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE,who had given Notice of his intention to ask "what ship was to accompany the Devastation on her trial in a sea-way," observed that the subject to which his Question related was one of deep interest to all naval men and also to naval architects. He was not going to refer again to the Rock of Cashel, but to another Rock, called Bishop's Rock, off Scilly. It was not dedicated to religious purposes, but served a very useful purpose as a lighthouse. The lighthouse was 147 feet high, and there was a bell on it 120 feet from the water's edge. Some years ago that bell was broken by the sea. He mentioned this to show what had been the force of the sea with a south-west wind. It broke this bell, portions of which were shown and regarded with great interest at the Exhibition. All the trials of the Devastation in smooth water had been satisfactory; but the question was, what would she do in a sea way? He saw by the papers she had been sent to Cape Clear to look for a breeze, but not for a gale. She was of a totally new construction, and never before had such a ship been sent to sea; he was rather surprised, therefore, that she should have been sent out without any vessel to accompany her. If she got into a gale there might be some danger, and it appeared to him and to most naval men that she ought not to have been sent out unaccompanied. The Valorous had been with her in her former trial. The principal object in sending another vessel with her was to see how she would behave, and that could not be properly ascertained unless a vessel of nearly the same displacement, weight, length, and power were tried with her. If the companion vessel got into a sea and pitched heavily, while the Devastation did not pitch at all, that would show that the Devastation was a great improvement in that respect. But if, on the other hand, the companion vessel went through the sea while it was not thought prudent that the Devastation should go further, that would decide the question the other way. It was not fair to the captain of the Devastation and the naval men of the country to let this trial go on without another vessel being with her of equal size and weight.
THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNsaid, that he stated on a former occasion that the Devastation when she should go on her trial would be accompanied by a consort. As the noble Earl had mentioned, the Valorous was with her up to Devonport; but as the Valorous had to go elsewhere, the largest tug at the port, the Carron, a vessel of 400 tons, was sent with the Devastation, which had crossed to Queenstown. The Valorous, however, had now returned and was ordered to join the Devastation. In her trials during the summer months one vessel from the Channel Squadron would be detached to join her.