The New Battleship for the China Station.
H.MS. Amphitrite, under the command of Captain C. Windham, which is coming tothe China Station in' relief of H.MLS. Orlando, and is a magnificent specimen of naval architecture, ism comparatively recent addition to the Bitish fleet, her construction having only been provided for by the estimates of the year 1896-97. Her Keel was laid down in December of the former year, and her launch took place at Bartow on the 5th July. 1898. She left Portsmouth on the 6th May last, renched Gibraltar on the 10th; Ma'ta on' the 14th, and Port Said on the 20th. She remained in the Canal for several days, and eventually proceeded on her voyage eastward from Suez on the 27th May, after having been passed by H.M.S. Orlando, which vessel was homeward boun! from the China station, and the Captain of which had uofortunately died new Aden. She arrived at Aden on -unday, June Ist. From the latter port she proceeded on a coasting voyage along the Arabian coast, anchoring night at the several harbours, and among other places made " call at Dharfur, portant port about one thousand miles the northward, She reached Muscat on Sunday, the 8th ultimo, and after tuking on board Major Cox, the British Resident, proce: ded to Sur, in the Oman State, which was reached on the 10th, and after a brief visit returned to Muse t. She then proceeded on a voyage up the Gulf, apparently with the object of impressing upon the natives that Great Britain was poseosed of more powerful vessels than those usually seen on the coast. Among the various it Sib, Bunder Abbas, Bus-hire, and Keweit, at which latter port Amphitrite remained for a day, thence re turning to Muscat. While the ressel_was in the Gulf H.MLS. Lapwing and H. Sphinx were also there, while enquiries cited the information that at Koweit and all the other ports touched at things were very quiet; the heat in the Gulf, however, being very intense. After remaining at Muscat for a day, and landing Major Cox at the latter p'ace, the Amphitrite left again on the 26th June, and after a plea sant voyage across the Indian Ocean reached Bombay. Sheremained in harbour for about a week, and then sailed for Colombo and the Far East.
H.M.S. Amphitrite is a first-class protected cruiser. Her hull is steel sheathed and coppered, and the vessel is provided with two screws and four funnels, and two pole masts. Her length between perpendiculars is given as 435 feet, over all 462 feet 6 inches; beam 69 feet, and mean draught 25 fect 3 inches. She has a displacement of 11,000 and an indicated horse-power of 18,000, equivalent to a speed of 20°75 knots. She is provided with Belleville boilers with feed water square feet. She forms one of a class of four cruisers, the other three of which are H.MS. Spartiate Inunched at Pembroke, HLM.S. Argonaut launched at Govan, and H.MS. Arisdue launched at Clydebank. She is provided with a steel deck, with and inch cvsements for 6-inch guns, and has a conning tower. It has been stated that the vessel from her forty-one guns can in a minute discharge 6,898 shors, varying in weight from 10JIbs. downwards, and totaling ubout 74 tons, while during that Drief period 3,804lbs. of powder would be used. Sixteen "f her guna are of the 6-inch quick-Gring type, the Vickers weapon of this calibre fung eight 100%b. shots per minute at a velocity of 2,770 feet per second. Her arnnument, in addition to the above guns, consists of twelve 12-pounder quick-firing guns; twelve 12-pounder or host guns; three 3-pounder quick-firing guns; and eight °45 maxims. She is also equipped with fourteen boats, including three steam launches, and twelve torpedoes, two of the tubes of which are submerged. She carries a complement of six hundred officers and men.
The following is " list of the officers Capt. C. Windham, Commander T. C. Smyth, Lieuts. R. H. Parker, B. F. Gregor. PTH, Beamish, EH. J. R- Newman, H. H. S. Thmpson, and C. W. J. Howard, Capt. R.M. F.'T. Philips, Lieut R. M. B. W. Elliott, Chaplain Rev. S. L. Claisle, Staff-Surgeon EH. Medden, Paymaster C. S, Inglis, Fleet Engineer H. S. Rashbrook, Surgeon F. D. Luml Engineer C.F. L. Donkin, Sub-Lieut. R.
Davenport, Assist. Paymaster R. A. F. Hughes, Assist. Enginvers T. G. R. Davies, F. G. Buddy, A. B. Rice, and R. Pristan, and seven warrant and subordinate officers,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.