ENGLAND AND RUSSIA IN THE PACIFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5520, 26 July 1879, Page 7

ENGLAND AND RUSSIA IN THE PACIFIC.

A correspondent of the Examiner, whose authority is ,;tated by that journal to be " unquestionable," gives the following information with respect to the relative strength of the-English and Russian squadrons en the Pacific station " England's consist of the ironclad Triumph, mounting 10 9-in rifled guns and four rifled 64-pounders, 64 cwt. each, the corvettes Opal and Turquoise, eaoh having a broadside of seven rifled 64: pounders, and the sloops Oaprey, Pelican, and Penguin, to be reinforced by the sloop Gannet üboiit to leave England. Each of these vessels mounts two 7-in M.L. rifledguns and four 64 pounders. There is also at Esquimault the gunboat Rooket, mounting two heavy gnns. The Russian squadron in the Paeific will in three months timo consist of the frigate General Admiral and the corvettes Kreutzer, Dgigit, Jemtchong, Maeziuik, and Rasbornick; total, one frigate, five corvettes. But in reality the corvettes are not larger in size, and not much more heavily armed than our sloops of the Osprey olass. They each mount three six in. B.L. rifledguns, throwing a Bhot weighing 961b., and Joy so-called rifle four- ' pounders, the shot of which weigh 241b.; are barque rigged _,and are copper-bottomed,; length, 240 f t; ■, breadth, extreme, 30ft j; draught of water*; i 15Jft; while the General Admiral is a composite vessel (iron frame, wooden planking, and coppered), _ with ia narrow belt of iron at the water-line, and. with the port sills and pivot chocks plated only, and mounting _four 8-in. and two Giil. rifled guas. As she ia heavily rifled, she would Ba an affioUnt cruiser." 1