WAR VESSELS IN COLONIAL WATERS.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 774, 2 June 1877, Page VI

WAR VESSELS IN COLONIAL WATERS.

The announcement that' when the - last Californian mail started thei'e -was a Russian fleet, consisting 1 of •seven steamships, lying at anchor m the harbour at San ' Francisco, has rendered some people anxious to know the number amd whereabouts ■of the British war vessels on the station. Referring to •4^, the Melbourne ' Argus' says : — -'We have taken the trouble to ascertain these particulars, but we •are afraid the information received wili not tend to re-assure those who regard the possibility of a visit from the Muscovite with anything but pleasure. The list is as follows : — Wolverine, corvette, 17 guns, 1703 tons, 400 hp., Auckland^; Sapphire, •corvette, 14gnns, HOS tons, 850 hp., New- Zealand; Nymphe, sloop, 9 guns, 10S4 tons, 300 hp., W. Australia; Sappho, sloop, -4 gana 727 tons, 120 hp., cruising-; B3agle, schomer, 1 gun, 120 tons, Sydney; Alacrity, sbhoone'r, 1 gun, 120 tons, cruising j Sandfly, schbon'er, 120 t6ns, cruuing ; Kenard, schooner, 1 gun, 120 tons, cruising ; Conflict, schooner, 1 gun, 120 tons, cruising. If these vessels were oducentrate;!, we fear that they would not^^ble •to afford any very effectual protection to the colouies m the event of an enemy appeurihg iv anything-, like force. JFour comparatively small ships, carrying 44 .gnus, none of which, we believe, avo of auy great calibre, eoul 1 not ibe ro regarded as a very formidable squadron for the -defence of these smttered provinces, even if they wero within call ; bat scattered as they are between West Australia on the oue hand, and Auckland or Samoa .on the other,, they have virtually no exlsteuou for us except m naaie. We . predumu thai the ' Imperial Government, having, hud t!ie possibility' of w\u' m. view f>r a \oiitf tiiiiii, h.ia not eeerl6ok.«d fche ii Ycensifcy of strangoheuiu^ its naval forces 'in the Ptcitic uui Bi>u thorn 0.-Ciiiis; but we must cjufrtdd thai, jojkia,? at the magnitude of the incerestn at stake, both onshore aud ail )nt^ wo should be glad to know tiiab the Cuniuodore hud v fttt larger foi'Ctf actually at hia disposal.'