BRITAIN'S BULWARKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2529, 3 September 1902, Page 69

BRITAIN'S BULWARKS.

By a Bankek.

Stem to stern, extended in long straight lines, rested motionless u--*on the blue ocean taose battleships and cruisers of the Sea "King —alas! struck down and prostrated with ft soro ailment and unable to witness the galfcnt array— which, by favour of Providence, kept the jealous foreigner from flying at our throats when the now happily concluded conflict, 6000 miles from our shores, was ragin°so furiously and invoking all our energies, ° 1 hough there were moored 15 miles of various ships of war— and, had the great reviewbeen lield, nine miles of transports would also have been anchored in line— yet that grand assemblage of the finest war vessels afloat represented but a fraction of the might of .Britain. For wherever throughout the wide world that glorious emblem of liberty, tho iSritiah flag, waves in the breeze, there, within call still more of these iron bulwarks of Britain patrol Hie seas, ready to strike; if need be, any who would have the fatuous temerity to affront our sons and daughters in any part of our wide Empire. And truly that great pageant -was a bravo and inspiriting spectacle. Here was the Calliope, whose gallant commander gained auch, renown for his fight with the elements at bamoa. Here the St. George, recalling to the writer sad memories of the mournful sea obsequies of our late beloved Queen. Here the Collingwood, the Benbow, and the Hawke named after those fighting sea-dogs of Old England who helped to build up our Empire, *nd whose names were such a terror to hei? enemies. Here the Fantome, the Immortalite; the ifc>ans Pareil, named after prizes taken norn the French in those old wars; and here the Camperdown, the Trafalgar, and" the Nile, canymg tho memories back to those great victorious times. And as we sail up and down the longer lines, passing great ship after ship, each with its huge cannon projecting fax out from turret or barbette, the mind is oppressed v;ith the power and the majesty of the iiisplny, and a feeling of exhilaration is experienced that we can claim the honoured name of Briton and are numbered amongst that r.nefourtli of the population of the entire earth which holds her Bway. And, too, many nations sent a. ship io Ho honour to our King. That splendid man of men, the German Emperor, sent a fine battleship; our bravo cousins, the Americans, -who received a hearty cheer as we passed them--Italians, French, Russians, and many others, all sent a war vessel in compliment to us. And last, but not least, our gallant and powerful allies, tho Japanese, who own the finest warship afloat, sent two formidable battleships a total journey of more than 20,000 miles to do us honour.

But, to quote the burning words of RuJytrcl Kipling: let us not forget the

God of our futhers, known of old Lord of our far-flung battle iine— Beneath whose awful hand we hold Dominion over palm and pine.

. . . Drunk with sight of power, loose Wild tongues which have not Thee in »wo. But oh, Lord God of Hosts, be with us yefc,' Lest we forgot, lest we forget.

— In Germany water pipes are being mady of glass with asphalt covering to prevent fracture. It is claimed that they give thorough protection against moisture in the* ground, against the action of acids and alkalies, and that they cannot be penetrated by gases.