▁career ▁on ▁the ▁China ▁Station ▁and ▁later ▁supported ▁the ▁French ▁occupation ▁of ▁Tun is ia ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 . ▁She ▁was ▁condem ned ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁sold ▁until ▁ 1 8 9 3 . ▁ ▁Design ▁and ▁description ▁The ▁s ▁were ▁designed ▁as ▁improved ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁arm ored ▁cor v ette ▁ ▁suitable ▁for ▁foreign ▁deploy ments . ▁Un like ▁their ▁prede cess or ▁the ▁Al ma - class ▁ships ▁were ▁true ▁central ▁battery ▁iron cl ads ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁fitted ▁with ▁arm ored ▁trans verse ▁bulk head s . ▁Like ▁most ▁iron cl ads ▁of ▁her ▁era ▁she ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁a ▁metal - re in for ced ▁ram . ▁ ▁Al ma ▁measured ▁ ▁between ▁per pend icular s , ▁with ▁a ▁beam ▁of ▁. ▁She ▁had ▁a ▁mean ▁draft ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁disp la ced ▁. ▁ ▁Prop ulsion ▁The ▁ship ▁had ▁a ▁single ▁Maz eline ▁horizontal ▁return ▁connecting - rod ▁steam ▁engine ▁driving ▁a ▁single ▁prop eller . ▁Her ▁engine ▁was ▁power ed ▁by ▁four ▁o val ▁bo ilers . ▁On ▁sea ▁tri als ▁the ▁engine ▁produced ▁ ▁and ▁the ▁ship ▁reached ▁. ▁Al ma ▁carried ▁ ▁of ▁coal ▁which ▁allowed ▁the ▁ship ▁to ▁steam ▁for ▁ ▁at ▁a ▁speed ▁of ▁. ▁She ▁was ▁bar que - rig ged ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁sail ▁area ▁of ▁. ▁ ▁Arm ament ▁Al ma ▁mounted ▁her ▁four ▁ ▁Mod èle ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁b ree ch - loading