THE BRITISH NAVY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5463, 15 January 1896, Page 1

THE BRITISH NAVY.

ADMIRAL BRIDGE'S VIEWS. [Special to Pbebs Association.] HOBART, Jan. 14. Admiral Bridge considers that the British navy is strong enough to ruin any enemies attempting conquest, and to give reasonable protection to England's vast; ocean, trade. The navy is not strong enough to guarantee every pdrt in the empire from attack, but out of the way ports should have a few hundred trained soldiers who would make a raider think ;iraice before attacking. • ?v;lEhkfoliawing particulars regarding the i na^al defepce v 6f A^traJasia will just now ;be'^d T wijttfe<«rest.;:-^-Por; the defence of 'of ; jAnfpSjja^ each colony hias, besiaejs'the Jteofd vdef fences, certain ships; of which'tlle'following'iis a list :—^New South Wales ii'-t Acheron arid Averrius, torpedo steam JaWchea. Queensland : , Gayundah, . double screw steel ship, 2 guns, 360 tons ; Otter, gunboat, 1 gun, 220 tons; Paluma, 2 gunsy .360 tons ; with several small boats.! South' Australia s Protector, cruiser, 6 guns. Victoria: Cerberus, double-screw armour-plated turret ship; Nelson (frigate), Victoria andAlbert, with gunboats Countess of Hopetoun, Childers> Nepean and Lonsdalei There are alstffqur torpedo boats. West Australia: Meda, schooner. Tasmania : One torpedo boat. New Zealand : Four torpedo boats and four steam torpedo launches. According to an agreement entered into with the Imperial Government, an additional naval force, consisting of five fast cruisers and two torpedo boats, has been provided for the protection of the floating trade in Australian waters. ■" For these the colonies pay certain sums. Defence works have been erected at Albany i(Wes v t Australia) and Thursday Island (Queensland). The following is a list of the ships on the Australian station :— Orlando, flagship, 12 gunsjtwinscrew steel-armoured cruiser. Mildura, 8 guns, twin screw steel cruiser. Ringafooma, 8 guns, twin screwsteel cruiser. Katoomba, 8 guns, twin screw steel cruiser, : Wallaroo, 8 guns, twin screw ~ste^;crrii3er. Royalist, 12 guns, screw corvette, composite.' Penguin, 8 guns, screw surveying, composite. Pylades, 14 gunß,' screw corvette, composite. Rapid; 12 guns, screw, corvette, composite. Dart, 2 ? gtms," screw surveying yacht, composite, - Ringdove, 6 guns, screw gunboat, com- . "I^^ Earrakatta, ; s 2 guns, screw tbrpedo. JGoldflnch, . 6 guns, screw 'sloop, \compositi?. ; Lizard,. .6 guns, screw gunboat'. ■' Taurahga, 6 guns, twin 1 screw steel ; cruiser. > Boomerang; 2 giih3>V screw steel torpedo. Waterwitch, no guns, jamb soi^w Btirveying, ; ■■'■'. '< : - '.''■'• :"■■■''. V > "N:P."" writes to -tile Auckland Hbrald: "At this moment it will, I am sure, interest all Anglo-Saxons to inow the opinion of such a man. as Lord'Brassey on th^e capabilities of the British shipbuilders to turn, out of their yards two ironclads for the foreigners' one: Several times have I seen the fact stated ; and so anxious was I to know its correctness that I wroifce ; Lord.ißrassey asking if sttch a statement was tru,e. ' py return post/ 1 re^ ceiie^ v^.sJ^|WeJjJ^): tHe v;eff§cti ' lh^.t t jbelieyed.^he'^ 7 ' buti he added, . 'he could not vouch foriit.' Although his answer is riot finally conclusive, nevertheless' it goes a greatwayto show our superiority in that, particular line to the foreigners'. And if it is positively true, to me it looks likea gift bestowed for the greatest purpose and object of our lives— not only for the nation's individual advantage, but'fpr the good of the world at large." •, . - / ..