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".
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".