A wood-built screw steam sloop still with sails which was ordered to be built in May 1841, on 13 April were preparations made to lay down her keel, she was launched at the Sheerness Dock Yard on 12 April 1843, commissioned on 12 December a year later, well known for the trials with paddle steam ships including the famous one against the HMS Alecto in March 1845 which she win and finally broken up in 1856/ With a builders measurement of 888 tons burthen were her dimensions 56 x 9,97 x 5,68 metres or 185’x 32’8½”x 18’7½”. Her two Maudslay double cylinder steam engines supplied 2x100 hp allowing a speed of 9.9 knots. Her crew numbered 180 men and her armament consisted of ten carronades and two pivot guns.(1)
Note
1. The Dutch newspaper Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant dated 21 February 1845 reported that on short notice the Royal steam yacht Victoria and Albert and the steamships Dwarf, Black Eagle and Rattler would have trials to compare their qualities. Surveyor sir William Symonds (24 September 1782 Bury St. Edmunds-30 March 1856 on board of the French steamship Nil in Strait of Bonifacio, Sardinia) would supervise these trials and according to rumours would admiral Sir George Cockburn (22 April 1772 London-19 August 1853 Leamington Spa, Warwickshire) be present.
