AN AUSTRIAN ON THE RUSSIAN NAV.

Western Star, Issue 944, 2 May 1885, Page 4

AN AUSTRIAN ON THE RUSSIAN NAV.

. , During, the, visit of, the [Mayor and ' 'Aldermen of Sydney to the Austrian man-of-war Saida, now lying at Sydney, the conversation with her commander

mot unnaturally turned upon the sorne,,,what ‘"parlous times” in which we ’ are living, and the result of _ what Capt. Eayenzsaid must have a decidedly dimishihg rather than magnifying ten"v dency upon any apprehensions at t ■ present 1! entertained of a visit to : Australia by Russian cruisers. The j . ) “Evening News ” says : “In the first . place, as to this powerful Russian fleet reported in. various places, from i! the Cape of Glood Hope to Cape Howe, with a misty appearance at •> Backstairs Passage, Captain Eayenz j simply laughed cousumedly at the notion of there being anything to fear about it. The vessels comprising it are small and old-fashioned (he saw some'of'them himself at the Cape), and the Nelson alone could blow the j,whole lot out of the water; ‘and even,’ said the captain, £ if the gentle.p inen of the Nelson happened not! to . [bo:in; Port Jackson, and the Russians ’ ran ,the gauntlet of your batteries, and r ' ‘got/into your harbor (which they might do at night), they would be ' ’ Very useful to your afterward for edratoicmercial and other purposes, for they 'Would;never get out again.’ The captain evidently .thinks that, despite dur t batteries,. there should bo no great "’'difficulty in any steamer dodging them x( 'Wf£r as to get inside them ; but, as v:ho' says, that would be all the worse ;w-dor!the steamer. But on the Anglo[Russiantquestion Captain Payenz and several pf his officers ; went even further, than this, and said plaihly that thdy did net think Russia meant ih" the long run, but was merely bullying as far as she could go, knowing that, a constitutionally go.‘(’dfned nation like Britain will always make peace, even at the last moment, if enemy gives indications of a fair desire for peace.” .!