, 1892-03-19

the name of Admiral Sir Provo William Parry
Wallis-who died on Saturday in the one
hundred and nrst year of his age-was held
in reverence. He was the last survivor of the
gallant men serving at sea when Nelson and
Collingwood were in their prime; when the
war between Great Britain and the United
States, which lasted from 1912 to 1915, was
at it's height; when every Frunch sail met at
sea carried an enemy's flag, and when no
vessel sailed from Portsmouth, Plymouth,
Yarmouth, Liverpool, or the mouth of the
Thames without expecting to meet a formlda-
bic foe on every sea. 1t must be remembered
that when the "steam kettle as Admiral
Rous used to term it, had not come into
existence, when Englands wooden walls were
her foremost line of defence, the proud name
of Mistress of the Seas belonged to her far
moro exclusively than is the case at present.
We have but to run through the list OF the
dates of Admiral Provo Wallis commissions
to realise the full significance of the fact that
his hundredth birthday took place on the
18th April last year. Those dates ara as fol-
lows: Lieutenant, November 30th, 1903
Commander, July 9th, 1913; Captain, Au-
gust 10Th, 1919; Rear-Admiral, August 9th,
1851; Vice-Admiral, September 10th, 1857
Admiral, March End, 1868; Admiral OF the
Fleet, December 18th, 1875. Moreover, he
was created K.C.B. in 1860 and G.CB. in
1873. All his nautical distinctions were won
before the introduction of steam, and when the
guns employed on the ships in which he ser
we'd were but plaything8 compared with the
vast engines, consuming hundreds of pounds
Of powder at each shot, with which a modern
ironclad is armed when putting to sea. There
are some who hold that the dauntless spirit
of Admiral Sir Provo Wallis ana his brave
contemporaries-the spirit Of Benbow, Howe,
Vernon, Arson, Rodney, Hood, Bridport,
Byron, st. Vincent, Codrington, DeSaumarez,
Duncan. Hawke, Calder, Hyde Parker, Col
lingwool Halliwell, Troubridge, Nelson, and
Dundonald-is no longer tO be tound among
their modern Successors. Yet the records of
recent years suffice to show that such "lauda-
torres telnporis acti" are rect oning without
their host. If ever the meteor tla@" of
England is once more encountered bya world
IN aims it is safe to anticipate that sailors
az good as the intrepid Benbow and the
invincible Nelson, as good as the gallant
veteran who has just expired, will be found
to vindicate the honour Of the Mistress Of the
Seas.
Nearly q century has elapsed since young
Provo Wallis was nominally entered in the
ROYAL Navy when little more than four years
old; he did not go to sea, however, until, as a
midshipman, he joined the Cleopatra, in
November, 1904. Scarcely had he joined her
when, at the age of fourteen, he smelt powder
for the first time. There is something spirit
stirring in the thought that a boy who was
in action for the first time eighty-six years
ago, should have lived 10 nearly to the end
of the nineteenth century. Il soon got over
my midshipman's fright, he observed, recent
ly, when recapitulating the incidents of that
memorable engagement between The Cleopa-
ira and a big French frigate, Vile de Milan;
"and was as proud as my %shipmstes Of our
not hauling Town our flag. but leaving the
Frenchmen to do it for us. We were beaten
from superiority in size, weight OF metal, and
numbers" The incidents of this old world
sea fight must be briefly stated. On Febru.
airy 18th, 1905, the Cleopatra, commanded by
Captain Sir Robert LawTie, sighted the
French frigate, Vile de Milan in the ofing.
There was every temptation for Captain
Lawrie to avoid the encounter. LATHE did he
reck, however, that with two hundred officers
and men IN board 8 thirty-two gun frigate
of six hundred and eighty tons he, had to meet
an antagonist of twelve hundred tons, armed
with forty six guns of heavy metal. and
fought by a crew of three hundred and sixty
officers and men. Orders wsre immediately
given by the English captain to smaks chase.
and about noon next day the Cleopatra got
within range Of her foe. The action continued
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