ɔːlðˈoʊ ˈɛdwɚd ɹˈiːd, hɜː dɪzˈaɪnɚ, hæd ɛkspˈɛktᵻd ɡɹˈeɪt θˈɪŋz ʌv hɜː, ðə stˈændɚd ʌv twˈɛnti sˈɛvən ɑːktˈoʊbɚ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti fˈaɪv sˈɛd "pɹˈɑːbəbli ðə vˈɛɹi wˈɜːst vˈɛsəl, bˈoʊθ æz ɐ fˈaɪɾɪŋ məʃˈiːn ænd ɐ sˈiːbˈoʊt, ðæt ˈɛvɚ jˈɛt wɛnt ˌaʊɾəv ɐ dˈɑːkjɑːɹd ʌv ˌɛni nˈeɪʃən pɹɪtˈɛndɪŋ tʊ ɐ mˈæɹɪtˌaɪm ɹˌɛpjuːtˈeɪʃən".
Although Edward Reed, her designer, had expected great things of her, the Standard of 27 October 1865 said "probably the very worst vessel, both as a fighting machine and a sea-boat, that ever yet went out of a dockyard of any nation pretending to a maritime reputation".