A Talk About the Navy.

Manawatu Herald, 26 May 1896, Page 3

A Talk About the Navy.

— *— — itftllam, the historian, considers that the nival glory of England can first be traced "in a continuous fcraclj of light »• from the period of the Oomibori wealth. Tinder the Commonwealth besides a powerful reserve kept in the Downs ready for immediate action, besides the numerous Cruijeri patrolling the Coußtfli we find for the first time the Mediterranean station that has playid id great a p'arb in English history oitoupied in force, a moderately strong Welt Indian squadron 1 , and the small beginning of the North Amarioah station. dur sailors found a batter master in the Commonwealth than itt the Grown, and the earliest attempt to afford the men some attention when ill or wounded, was made. The Naval law has it roots in the fink articles of war passed by the House df Cammons In 1648 9. In 1650 Captain Wyard and his crew received medals far a successful action against a superior force off Harwich. Those who hate come froni the seaport towns in England may have often noticed a broom tied at the top of the maifc of a vessel for salo, and wondered why such an article should be there. It all arises from a good old joke of many years ago. In the year 1652 the Dutch Admiral, Van Tromp, obtained a success over a portion of the English fleet and was so elated thereat that be " sailed the ocean blue " down the English channel with a broom tied to his masthead to denote that he had swept the English from the seas. He was too previous for old Admiral Blake soon got at him and smashed his fleet up and killed him. The broom now denotes a desire to give up shipping as the Datoh felt in 1653. It is a good joke to have kept so long. Before all this however it is but fair to state that Henry VII built the Royal Harry, which has been considered a start of a navy. This was in 1483. In 1686 the English navy con listed of the Great Harry of 1200 tons, two ships of 800 tons, and six or seven smaller. Frigates were first built in 1649, and James II in 1685 syitematised sea-signals. In 1840 the screw propeller was introduced into the navj. The French built the first plated frigate in 1860, called the Globe, and in the end of tha year our Warrior the then largest vessel in the world except the Great Eastern was launched, she had iron plates of 4J inches thick. The naval salute to the British flag began in Alfred's reign and continued ever since. The Dutoh agreed to strike to tha English colours in the British seas in 1678 and the honour of the flag salute was also formally assented to by France in 1704. The first notice of a uniform in the British naval service occurred in a Journal dated March 1748.