On the 17th of February 1900 the French river gunboat Argus (length, 145ft.; beam, 24ft.; draught 2ft.; displacement, displacement, 123 tons; speed, 13 knots) fitted with 500 indicated horsepower (total) inverted vertical compound engines operating on steam supplied by two Thornycroft water-tube boilers was launched from the yard of J. I. Thornycroft and Co., of Chiswick. The Argus, was one of two sister craft which were being constructed to the order of the French Government by J. I. Thornycroft and Co.