▁stations . ▁ ▁Background ▁and ▁design ▁ ▁The ▁principal ▁motiv ation ▁driving ▁the ▁Admir alty ▁was ▁the ▁French ▁policy , ▁already ▁well ▁advanced , ▁of ▁dispatch ing ▁their ▁own ▁small ▁iron cl ads ▁to ▁these ▁same ▁distant ▁stations . ▁ ▁was ▁under ▁construction , ▁and ▁ ▁had ▁been ▁author ised . ▁Both ▁of ▁these ▁were ▁tur ret - ar med ▁ships , ▁and ▁the ▁press ▁ag itated ▁for ▁a ▁tur ret - mount ed ▁arm ament ▁in ▁these ▁newly ▁ordered ▁ships . ▁The ▁Admir alty , ▁however , ▁decided ▁that ▁as ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁built ▁a ▁long ▁succession ▁of ▁successful ▁broad side ▁iron cl ads , ▁and ▁no ▁tur ret - ar med ▁ships ▁had ▁been ▁produced ▁other ▁than ▁some ▁coast al ▁defence ▁ships ▁of ▁low ▁disp lacement ▁and ▁limited ▁range , ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁better ▁to ▁await ▁the ▁assess ment ▁of ▁Mon arch ▁and ▁Captain ▁before ▁depart ing ▁from ▁the ▁broad side ▁principle . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁ships ▁were ▁intended ▁for ▁service ▁in ▁waters ▁far ▁distant ▁from ▁Britain , ▁and ▁given ▁the ▁limited ▁efficiency ▁of ▁the ▁steam ▁engines ▁of ▁the ▁period , ▁it ▁was ▁necessary ▁to ▁equip ▁them ▁with ▁a ▁full ▁sail ing ▁rig . ▁Re ed ▁never ▁wa ver ed ▁from ▁his ▁belief ▁that ▁in ▁a ▁fully ▁rig ged ▁ship ▁arm ament ▁carried ▁in ▁a ▁central ▁broad side ▁battery ▁was ▁the ▁superior ▁method , ▁being ▁un ob struct ed ▁by ▁m asts ▁and ▁rig ging . ▁Both ▁the ▁designer ▁and ▁the ▁Admir alty ▁were ▁therefore ▁in ▁total ▁agreement ▁that ▁these ▁ships