HOW THE BRITISH BRITISH KEPT SENTRY

New Zealand Mail, 22 January 1902, Page 31

HOW THE BRITISH BRITISH KEPT SENTRY

A graphic story of how the British fleet n e £ , . t seu try at Deiagoa Bay appears in Blackwood s Magazine.” Presumably it is tne story of a British naval omcer vho was there, but by whomsoever it la told, it makes plainer than has hitherto been known how alert and effective that senay keeping was. Its difficulties were of less account than its risks. As we know, there were no precedents to act upon Every previous great war in which naval questions could arise has been fought between nations' possessed of niaritmie frontiers. The Transvaal had no such frontier; had not even an outlet to the sea. Therefore the Naval Prize Baw, under which contraband of war can b® seized without much ceremony, could not be invoked. The Portuguese Government did not, for Great Britain, simplify itj neutrality by insisting upon having’ full authority over Deiagoa Bay—2o miles broad and the islands and channels south of it, claiming their rights also up to a three-mile limit outside the shoals, it these claims had not been insisted upon, three or four cruisers would have been ample to keep the door locked at Lorenzo Marquez; as it was, the naval squadron was increased to eleven vessels, ihe larger cruisers were placed inside the harbour, and kept in communication with the admiral at the Cape, and by means of the Marconi apparatus tliev kep*t m touch with gunboats on patrol over a crescent reaching out for 40 miles. The amount of contraband our war ships seized was small, but the important question is, how much they prevented being landed for the Boers, and what was the moral effect of the British naval precautions. It is significant that “during tho first six weeks of hostilities the arrivals of ships at Lorenzo Marquez were ten times greater than they were in the following December”; and in course of time, with the exception of the mailboats, none but British vessels ever went near the harbour.

three-mile limit arrangement f lmlneus ely to the responsibilities of tiie fleet. Contraband vessels had only . S f i e t * l , e coast 40 or 50 miles south °r Deiagoa Bay, and steam within three miles, to be safe from arrest. Several did so, sailing defiantly under the French flag. It was the practice to meet this slimness by sending a cruiser along the three-mile line, and if possible, making an incoming steamer port her helm and ft®f r more to seawards. The writer in Blackwood may be excused for giviim a note ol seriousness to his account of what nearly amounted to a collision. A I rench vessel was sighted coming up the towards a her & CrUiser hea ded straight Both vessels were steering stem on and m another minute would be within a stones throw. The whole ship's company were on deck watching with breathless anxiety. Stand by the gun/ sang out the skipper, and turning once more to the navigator, said: ‘\\ ill you swear that she is outside the three-mile limit?' ‘No, sir, I am afraid I can't,’ was the answer. Hard a-port, yelled the captain, ami almost before the quartermaster had. given the full amount of helm the two vessels rushed past each other, and a war between Trance and England was happily averted.”

The story may be highly coloured, although British naval officers are not given to empty boasting; but the incident as described is an illustratibn of the kind of work the fleet had to do in and around Belagoa Bay. As to munitions of war being landed on the sea coast and up tho adjacent rivers, officers and men of the fleet declare it to be impossible. Scepticism is not removed by positive statements or denials. If tlie Boers have not in this way received large supplies of arms and ammunition, whence have they obtained them? On the East African coast, however, the writer ill “Blackwood” declares that such smuggling is not possible. Bluejackets were several times landed at different points, but they had the greatest difficulty in getting off again; it will bo remembered that Lieutenant Leckic, of 11.M.5. Widgeon, won the Albert Medal for saving: the lives of two troopers who were capsized in tlie surf. On tho whole, it will bo admitted that the fleet whose business it was to cut off Boer supplies from the sea did their delicate and very difficult task with consummate tact, and with a very large measure of success*.