backed by of teak. The decks were thick, backed by of teak. Service HMS Magdala was laid down on 6 October 1868 by the Thames Ironworks in Leamouth, London. She was launched on 2 March 1870 and completed in November 1870. For her delivery voyage to India, Magdala was fitted with three temporary masts and made the trip under sail in the middle of winter without escort, as both her builders and the Royal Navy, considered her sufficiently seaworthy as to make the trip safely. Her life thereafter was wholly spent in Bombay Harbour, with occasional short trips to sea for firing practice. She was sold for scrap in January 1903. Notes References External links Magdala & Abyssinia Slideshow Cerberus-class monitors Ships built in Leamouth 1870 ships Victorian-era monitors of the United Kingdom