THE BRITISH NAVY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1611, 19 April 1879, Page 4

THE BRITISH NAVY.

With the now year, says the “ Pall Mall Gazette,” a page ,hns been added to the navy list, published by authority, which will save much trouble to those who wish to ascertain the strength of our’squadrons or the names of our men-of-war on any foreign station. It has always been possible to obtain such information by searching through the list of ships in commission, as the station on which each vessel is employed is printed in small letters below its name ; but now on a single page a list of stations is given, and under each a list of the ships actually on that station. Thus it can be seen at a glance that on the Ist of January, 1879, there were twenty eight men-of-war belonging to the Mediterranean fleet; while four others, forming the Channel squadron, were also temporarily in the Mediterranean. Of the vessels of the Mediterranean fleet, again, nine—namely, the Achilles, Alexandra, Invincible, Monarch, Pallas, Research, Rupert, Temeraire, and Thunderer —are iron-clads, the remainder being small unarmoured vessels, with the exception of the Raleigh, a frigate of 5200 tons displacement. The four vessels of the Channel squadron—the Agincourt, Defence, Minotaur, and Shannon—are all iron-clads. On the North American station there are, it appears, fourteen men-of-war, one of which, the Bellerophon, is an armoured vessel. On the Pacific station there are nine ships—one, again, the Triumph, being an iron-clad ; on the West Coast of Africa there are 11 ships; on the East India station, 12 ; on the China station, 21, all small craft with the exception of one ironclad, the Iron Duke; and on the Australian station nine. Three vessels are employed on particular service, six on surveying service ; while 10, two of which are ironclads, are ordered homo. It is officially announced that the following ships are at present being built for the Royal Navy in Government and private yards : At Chatham —Agamemnon, 4, double screw, iron armor plated turret ship, 8492 tons, 6000 horse-power ; Polyphemus, screw iron armorplated torpedo ram, 2640 tons, 5500 horsepower ; Constance, 14, screw corvette, steel and iron cased with wood, 2383 tons, 2300 horse power; Dotterel, 6, composite screw sloop, 1124 tons, 900 horse-power. At Devonport—Miranda, 6, and Phoenix, 6, composite screw sloops, 1124 tons, 900 horsepower. At Sheerness —Kingfisher, 6, composite screw sloop, 1124 tons, 900 horsepower. “At Pembroke —Ajax, 4, double screw iron armor-plated turret ship, 8943, 6000 horse-power ; Bouncer, 1, double screw steel gunboat, 257 tons, 168 horse-power ; Cockchafer, 4, Espion, 4, and Bullfrog, 4, screw composite gunboats, 455 tons, 360 horsepower ; Tickler, Gadfly, and Griper, double screw iron gun vessels, 254 tons, 168 horse - power ; Insolent, 1, double screw steel gunboat, 253 tons, 168 horse-power; Insolvent, 1, double screw steel gunboat, 253 tons, 168 horse-power; Nautilus and Pilot, sailing brigs, 501 tons. At Poplar — Orion, 4, double-screw iron armour-plated corvette, 4720 tons, 3900 horse-power. At the Thames Shipbuilding Company, Blackwall—Swift and Linnet, double screw gun vessels, 770 tons, 870 horse-power; Majtslic iron armour-plated turret-ship, and the Pinchcr, double-screw iron gunboat, are being prepared to be built at Pembroke; and the Conqueror, iron armour-plated turret-ship, at Chatham. Several of the above vessels are now almost ready for launching, and in adaddition to these several new ships, which have not yet been in commission, are preparing for sea, amongst them being the Neptune (lute Indepondencia), 6, armour-plated tur-ret-ship, I 9000 tons, 9000 horse-power, at Portsmouth; Superb (late Measendouyeh), 16, armour-plated, 8760 tons, 7430 horsepower at Chatham; Nelson, 12, armourplated ship, 7323 tons, 6000 horse-power, at Chatham ; and the Southampton, 12, armourplated, 7323 tons, 6000 horse-power, at Chatham. Provision will also be made in the estimates for the laying down of several other vessels, including two ironclads.