British Royal navy needed shallow draught river gunboats for East Africa according to the Dutch magazine De Ingenieur dated 11 October 1890

An item reported the necessity of the British navy of gunboats suitable to serve on the usually very shallow Zambesi and Shiré rivers in East Africa. The shipyard Yarrow was asked for advice and in the British magazine Engineering dated 16 May were two gunboats described built according to Yarrows’ advices. One of these gunboats was called Mosquito. It were steel built flat bottomed vessel with a spoon shaped fore ship fitted out with a large stern wheel. The boats consisted of six floating parts united in the water to a whole. To the last part was the stern wheel with the engine fitted and on the second part in range reckoned from the bow the steam boiler. The several parts were connected with some high positioned tension rods preventing a bending downwards at the ends. These tension rods were enough for a well connection so bolts were not necessary. Dimensions 27,14 (over all90 x 5,50 x 0,45 and a hold of 1,20 metres. Speed 10 miles. There were two balanced rudders partly situated before and alongside the wheel, fitted to the stern and allowing a turning circle twice her length. The engine cylinders had a quite long stroke and were with long torque rods directly connected with the wheel making 30 rpm. The locomotive type boiler was wood-fired working without an exhauster of the engine. Despite the used steam was leaded through the funnel, the lacking of a blow month prevented the steam making any whistle while she was drained to open air. All six parts had a longitudinal bulkhead and while connected these bulkheads make one line dividing the ship into two halves. Assembling the ship was done within 24 hours from the very begin until lying under steam. During an experiment at the factory even just 6¾ hours.