JAPAN'S NEW CRUISERS.

. + . THE VOYAGE TO THE EAST.

A MOTLEY CREW

Tho voyngo >of one of, the cruisers purchased from the Argentine Republic, the Nisshin, from Europe to the East, was «n adventurous one. When the cruiser reached Ceylon she was boarded by a representative of the Wfeekly Times, who gives an interesting description of tlie voyage of tlie vessed, and the experiences of her motley crew. Tlie Nissliin, says the Ceylon paper, as it lies berthed amid a quantity of lesser shipping, looks more like a battleship tlian a cruiser, and its massive and somewliat ugly bulk bears a striking contrast to the cleaner outline and general smartness of H.M.S. Hyacinth, which lies under the shelter of the breakwater. is slate-colored, like vessels of the jg British fleet, but has otherwise a very foreign cut about her. Her two funnel* are heavy-jowled, and her single mast is of the telescopic kind. There is coal everywhere. One seems to breathe the blackness. Grit lies nearly an inch deep on the deck. There is no spruce bluejacket at tlie head of the gangway to inquire the intruder's business. CHAOS IX THE ENGINEROOM. But it is m the engineering department that the great trouble lies. Including electricians and artificers, this department accounts for forty men, and of these forty only on© man — the second engineer — can speak a word of English. They are all Italians. The second engineer is English on his mother's side, and tliat accounts for his acquaintance with our language. It. is not difficult to imagine the chaos_ which must result from this state of affairs. The captain can convey no orders to tlie chief engineer, and one of the officers asseverated that out of pity's sake, he had not the heart to worry the second engineer more than lie could help, for he was constantly being called upon 'to interpret between the English and the Italians. It is statindeed, that the Nisshin would liave along much faster if the engineers i^liod not been so obstinate. "They can't and they won't take an order." But that is not the only cause for dissatisfaction, although, as everyone knows, Jack Tar is a proverbial grumbler. A Genoese contractor has supplied all the j food for the Nisshin, and naturally the cooks are Italians. There is plenty of food aboard, it was "the only thing is as regards the cooking of it. We get all sorts of Italian "delicacies which we don't want, and when you want to explain, what's the good, foAUiey don't understand you ! In fact, J^^L don't want to understand — that's th^trouble." CONFUSION AND DIRT. All around the decks resounded the babel of foreign tongues. In one corner sat a couple of Italian, electricians, busy repairing some intricate apparatus, which drew from the officer the remark that "those were the men,i who did more work than all the engineers put together." Italians make very clever electricians. And here another story needs to be told. Tlie Nisshin, before she left Genoa, was completed m all her heavier parts, and lier magnificent armament was made perfect before she sailed. But her interior fittings, electric lights, ventilators, water-tight portholes, etc., are very imperfect. Indeed, it is impossible m rough weather to remain on the lower deck when all the portholes are closed, and the evil is aggravated because the Nisshin' is very dirty m her water, although m otlier respects very seaworthy. She had evidently shipped some heavy seas, for the lower, deck carried pools of water, and the scuppers leaked alarmingly. There is no refrigerator aboard, which is another disadvantage, and an electric fan is something of a treasure. In regard to the refrigerator, a good story is told. At Perim five tons of ice were taken aboard, but the person m charge of it foolishly dumped it down m a heap forward, so that it' speedily disappeared. "If it had been put on the top deck purposely to melt," said an aggrieved Englishman, "it couldn't have gone quicker." "No," said another, a tough old Scotsman, who had charge of a, number of impossible Italians. "I wouldn't sail m; such a ship and with such a crew for £20 a month, wet through all day long. We touched, some of the bolts, which were visibly leaking. Food bad, no clothes, and those Italian beggars, when you want to know anything, throw their arms .about and shout 'no savee.' " MEETING WITH RUSSIAN FLEET. In this connection it will be interesting to describe the events "of the journey East, so far as the Russian fleet is concerned. The Nisshin came up with the Russians at Port. Said, and also at Suez. Relations were then' very much strained, and the Russians vessels declined to put up their, flags, m contrast to •* H.M.S. King Alfred; the crew of which fraternised with that of the Nisshin, and a formal visit from one cruiser to the other was made and returned. The opinion of tlie English officers m regard to the Russian fleet is not very flattering. Tlie Aurora, they say, is the only cruiser which is a match for the Japanese cruisers, but it is much slower, and was easily given the slip. The. battleship Domitri Donskoi and the other war vessels they regard as more like targets, than anything else, wliereas the. Japanese- cruisers have very little, top hamper, or taget space generally. The crew of the Nisshin was aware that the Russian fleet wins sliadowing them, but they would have been prepared to fight, had it been necessary, even before reaching Colombo. ■„■■• ARMAMENTS. . V Tlie Nisshin is a floating tarsortal. She --*■■ curries 14.6in guns, the ominous muzzles, of which peep out from every side, and four Bin guns, two forward and two aft, besides numerous quick-firing and Maxim guns. She is loaded with ammunition of every description, and numerous torpedoes are to be seen below. The. guns are at present locked, but everything is ready for action.

THE KASSUGA; is similar to the Nisshin in'every respect, but she is mi a more advanced state of completion. She was launched four months before her sister ship. The cruisers left Genoa within five minutes of each other, but the Kassiiga gave her companion the slip when some days on the journey, and arrived at Port' Said ahead. One of the officers stated that each of the Japanese cruisers will cost the Government £70,000 sterling for simply bringing them out from Genoa, so that after all they are not likely to be a. bargain financially. Forty Arabs were taken aboard at Aden to serve as firemen. . ■

NO TROUBLE EXPERIENCED. Throughout the journey no trouble was experienced with the engines or boilers. The boilers are of the cylinder type, four double and two single,* and the engines are triple expansiojn. It might be added that tho guns were made at Armstrong's works, and it "is possible that the cruiser was constructed under the supervision of English engineers, for the firm of Ant~" siildo is amalgamated with' Armstrong's.