NAVAL INVENTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 104, 25 January 1908, Page 12

NAVAL INVENTIONS.

Tho official tests to be carried out. with a naval engineer's firo control invention for warships aro to bo of a most exhaustivo character, and Admiral Sir Arthuf Wilson will havo a freo hand in advising whether tho now plan can bo adopted generally. Ho will by given every assistaneo by the Portsmouth authorities, and already the cruiser Ariadno lias been detailed to assist the battleship Vei> geanco, which is to try the new system. Some vast improvements in aim correcting aro assured, and tho sighting contrivance designed by an Australian civil servant, who recently came home and demonstrated the value of his device at Whitehall, will add something now and important to gunnery. There is still another gun secret to bo investigated. and altogether it is certain that the new 13.5 in. guns, which the three newest of battleships are to have, will tako their place in tbo servico at the beginning of a new era in gunnory. Tho improvements will also extend to the uso of guns on shore. A now plan of showing a hit at long rahgo is to be adopted. Fuses aro to bo attached to projectiles, in practice, which will explodo on impact and show a coloured light. Each ship firing will havo her own colourod fuse, so that tho identity of every shot will bo established.

Owing to the rough nature of the country between tho West Waiau and Prcser7»>on very littlo prospecting has (says tho "Western Star") been carr : >r out there in the past. Last month, however, Mr. John Gray and a party of threo prospected tho country as far as the Big River, and found traces of gold and tin, and there is every indication of a good quartz reef, being discovered. Mr. Gray informs us that tho Government track to Preservation Inlet is now almost impatsable, tho wiro ropes over tho rivor having boon dostroyed. Tho party travorsed tho shores Of Lake Potcritori, at tho hend of Waitutu River. This beautiful stretch of water, some 25 miles in length, is about seven milos from Lake Haliroto, and a track connccting these two lakes could bo cut at a very small cost. From the Waitutu River the prospectors made their way to the Big River, which takes its source from Lake Hakapoua. This ia the home of the black swan, which are to be seen in thousands. Other game, large and small, also exist. Although no red deer were met with innumerable tracks were to lie seen, so that in years to come excellent sport may ho obtained, Apart altogether from n sccnic point of view there are great possibilities of a good goldfield being opened out in tho west.