The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-09-14
THE CELESTIALS AFLOAT.
China Building IL First-Class Wooden
Navy-Iron-Clads Contracted For.

To Western minds the idea that China Will
ever become Of any Importance as a naval
power appears an utter absurdity. That The
Celestial should abandon bis cherished habis
of centuries In the construction of his war
junks and copy the plans of baroarians would
a few years since have been regarded as a
mere chImera. We have seen, however,
Japan emerge from The mist that hung about
It for ages, and set about inaugurating a navy
after the fashion Of tile United States and Eu-
ropean powers, and 1t now appears that China
aspires to emulate in this respect It's more pro-
gresslve neighbor.
The Chinese have within o few years been
obtaining by degrees q nunbe OF steam YES
sells, until now they possess about twenty
steamships, all more or less adapted to the
purposes of wal. The majority OF these have
been built In Chine, aud are manned and
Differed by Chinese who profess 10 under
stand navigation aud marine engineering.
This feet was originally designed, 1t is sup
posed, to chase the pirates with which the
Chinese waters abound, and the first steam
ships were, lherefore, of small capacity, vary.
ifRfHnutteeG n JaKa: -ABf#e, rfHab ~ier IaftHt@Re q el4At
ment, evidently, has enlarged lis We've, and,
az our readers weGe q short time since in-
formed, O frlgste If three thousand tons,
blllIt by nalive Chinese wurkmen, has
been successfully launched. This IS 10
be armed with Krupp's powerful I'M
proved guns. OTHER irlgates Of q simi-
lar character are said TO be In progress.
Nor are the Chinese content win WOODEN
vessels only. An experienced naval archltect,
skilled In the construction OF lron.claus, mas
been sent for from Europe, and IL on his way
to CHINA, 10 design and snperinlend the con-
struction Of The modern wal iron-cl, I'd. The
Chinese have also bsen giving attenLioa to the
manning of their navy. ALI the seamen and
marines are picked men, the most OF whom
nave been under foreign drill Instructors, ana
are oil armed with foreign rides OF new pal,
terms. The guns also are made ana mounted
afier The modern fashion, and The drill 10 rep.
sented as being somewhat severe. The high
er class of officials also, who spared no pains
to obtain iuformatlCn on the chief Incidents OF
the F~rauco-GermaE war, have been eXpef.-
menting Oh The use OF torpedOes.
The swater-thunders," as they are called To-
the Chinese vernacIlar, are viewed with greet
favor, and the government Is possessed OF esll-
mates, drawings, and models of all the recent
Inventions In this department OF warfare. Inc
A~uolo-Chinese press all admit that a war win
China now would be q very different affair
tnan that with The clumsy Wurjunks oil o Law
wears ago. The last China Mail stated That
Should the dispute between Corea and Japan
end in hostllities China ls determined to aid
The former. Possibly these Warllke naval
preparations have some connection Win tliis
contingency, as 1t has been reported lnat inc
Government of the Son of Heaven Is By no
means satisfied with Japan in the negotiations
for the recently projected treaty: There Is
also abundant prof that China Is viewing
with jealousy Japui's growing Intercourse
with western powers; and II the former 10 not
ready to cast of old prejndlces and put on
modern civilization, like lis neighbor, 1t ls
determined not 10 be lacking In Its appliances
of making war should q break occur betWeen
the two uaiionS.