Archimedes was capable of carrying 600 people and included garden decorations, a gymnasium and a temple dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite among its facilities. Since a ship of this size would leak a considerable amount of water through the hull, the Archimedes' screw was purportedly developed in order to remove the bilge water. Archimedes' machine was a device with a revolving screw-shaped blade inside a cylinder. It was turned by hand, and could also be used to transfer water from a body of water into irrigation canals. The Archimedes' screw is still in use today for pumping liquids and granulated solids
SS Archimedes lead to the adoption of screw propulsion by the Navy (see Legacy section below). With the conclusion of the Dover trials, "Archimedes" was placed at the disposal of Captain Chappell for a circumnavigation of Britain, which took place in July 1840. This voyage presented an opportunity to not only conduct further tests, but also to allow inspection of the technology by shipowners, engineers and scientists in ports throughout the country. "Archimedes" completed the 2006-mile voyage at an average speed in excess of 7 mph, and a maximum speed under ideal conditions of 10.9 mph. With the completion of this voyage,