in some important respects, however the gunboats were thoroughly up-to-date. their armament of two 4-inch guns, four 12-pounders and four or more heavy-calibre maxim guns was modern, and the firepower it provided was comparable to that of comparable ships from rival navies, such as the german gunboat sms "panther". each ship's triple-expansion steam engine was capable of 13.5 knots, only slightly slower than contemporary battleships and cruisers, and their hulls were built of steel, exploiting metallurgical advances of the 1880s, rather than using older wrought iron or composite construction techniques.