THE ROYALIST.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 319, 24 November 1888, Page 6

THE ROYALIST.

H.M.s. Royalist, which has just been added to the Imperial squadron on the Australian station, taking the place of the Diamond, has arrived at Sydney and is moored in Farm Cove. The Royali&t in measurement, rig, and fighting power is the same as the Rapid. She is described in the official naval records as a screwy cruiser of the third class, carrying il2 guns, and of 1,420 tons displacement, and 1,510 horse power. She is capable of steaming at about 12 knots, and does faiily well under canvas. Her commission dates from Devonport, April 14th, 1886, and she left for the West Coast of Africa in, June, 1886. There she cruised about until June of this year, when she reported at Siera Leone. Thence to the Cape of Good Hope, and conformably with Imperial instructions, came on to Australia. On the run across the Southern Ocean some very bad weather was fallen in with, and an accident occurred to one of the crew, who fell from aloft to the deck a fearful crash, a distance of about 45fc. He rather mnaculously escappd with his lite, but has been invalided and under treatment ever since, and will probably have to be sent home. Another =*ad in* cident , occurred ' about the fame time. An ordinary seaman, a young man named Hobbs, died of consumption, and was buried before the ship reached the Australian coast. The change for her crew from the forbidding, rock- bound coast of West Africa to the coraline wreathed islets of the Samoan Group, whither the vessel is reported to be bound, should of itself be a source of satisfaction, to say nothing of the charm that the arcadian simplicity of the Samoans admittedly has for European visitors. Tie Royalist will not probably remain foi many days in Port Jackson, only sufficiently long to admit of the clearing up and cleansing of the ship as indicated above. She will probably return to Sydney about Apiil next, unless other instructions prevent. The list of her officers is as follows : — Captain, George Hand : lieutenants, W. F.'Tunnard, F. J. 0. Hummer and Algernon H. Lyons; navigating lieutenant, John P. Rolle&ton ; staff; surgeon, J. A. Collott,; staffs paymaster, E. R. Brown; staff engineer, W. T. Coope : engineer, G., Welsh; assistant paymaster, S. M. Fennell; gunner, A. Collier ; boatswain, E. A. Smith ; supernumerary, W. Roberta ; carpenter, Joshua Creber.