The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-28
EyeLAxD AND FRANCE IN ASIA.
The ships They Rave Now nj Had for
Uss IN snmesc Tronbirs.

L
WASHINGTON. July 27.-lt lie not surprising to
learn that tho British have far more numcr-
| GUS and powerful fleet in the waters OF eastern
| and southern Asia than the French. Important
| as may be tho interests Of the latter In Cochin
| China. Tonluin. and AMMAN. they are lar OUT
weighed by British interests In India. Bur
| nah. and China. 90 that at the present time
tho naval force OF the latter Ia much superior
In waters not far distant from Siam.
or the French vessels may be noted. In the
first place. those that have already made their
way to bangkok. or these the Gunboas
Lutin and Comote nro Of about 473 tons dis.
placement each. and the lnconstante OF about
81 tons. Each carries two 5S-inch and ons
or two 30-inch guns. besides machine guns.
Then wo have the Lion. n lister ship OF tho
Comatc. and tho Alouette a trno larger All
these five con easily cross tho bar In tho
Menam River. much smaller pair OF paddle.
wheel gunboats are the Joaquin md Monlan.
OF 1872 tons each. carving about % men. and
armed with two az inch guns, wh,lo there nre
also nve little craft Of tho Arauebuse tyve.
having little less displacement than our t.r.
pedo boat Cushing. These also are said TO
AIRY oacl pair OF 3if.inch rifles.
Mention has been made in the dispatches Vt
the Forfait as being below DanGkos. but u'a-
bic to cross the bar OF the Mcnam River i'hs
10 n large wooden vessel OF quito different
tyne from those already spoken Of carrying
goodly number OF 5S-inch guns and crew OF
2G4 men. The n ,gship OF Admiral Human is
tho Triomphnnte. on armorrlnh OF SLOW Sped.
but carrying heavy battery. including some
a4-inch guna. and having 3sS men. The An.
pami,e is a very largo arme transport vessel
OF over i, 400 ms. having 3l5 men.
It will be observed that the ffcnch haze
taken tho prccaution to usscnihie conshi"rA-
lie mum DOR OF small craft in that region Ior
river service. Thcse would Nil BE- effective "a
.I,atr ,flf sI,l
ca!ibre for much service against earihwoTks II
properly constructed ~
rs they include those 10th Of the China lni
tho East Indies station; rhe former nrr com.
maned by SSAam,l fr snrn.t,e a w%Ie
clad ~ recent construction having 1000 tons
disrlaecnsnt: l0.Hnn t"r.o power seai u III En"s
nsh suns steel ss cn" o TOM "1 i"s
loss on her trial. with n crew OF 30 men, and
carrying ten U.inrh guns. Win Tour IapNi.nre
Years Yen soil old. Next to be note Is the Severn. Of
1850 tons. D.UuU horse power. speed snII to
exceed IL knots NM ft%, oil az m nro sns
carries two S-inrh and ten '-inch, rifles Tho
Mercury was 10 her day reg4rdei as the tnEt-
like tho Severn. was launched in 1878. and VAS
n, costly vessel. shs has 3. 100 tons dis.
27U men and thirteen 5-inch rifles. with
four rapid-ilre and seven machine guns.
lno GuliaS. carrying elpNt gum anu ~ men,
has already boen spoken OF in tho despntch"s
MS stationed OF tho Mcnam River below Bang
kok. while the Daphne. carrying about tho
same number OF guns anu men, was once
amiliar to Us as being on tho Pacific ssati H.
The Archer. Ito tons, six U-fnch guns and
was the typo from which our Yorktown class
OF Eunboats wns taken while second vessel
OF tho same class on the China station is tho
Porpclse. The Caroline is composite cruiser
OF .42O tons, 44O horse power. fourteen o-Ecn
guns. with eight in the secondary battery and
n crew of lVl men. The hIlcrity. OF 100 tons.
3. $50 horse power. and II knots. IL n despatch
vessel. carrying four 5-inrh rifles aud four
guns. with crew of o. men.
but the China sutton also has u lRrg. num-
her OF Gunnonts. mostly conpostc. ~ dis
placement suite. for river serfire. Ihrs" in-
OF about 755 tons. l. 200 horse power. n little
over Is knots speed. ana II little over feet
draught. carving each six 4-inch guns and
four machine guns. with crews Of nhout
~ men. The Linnet is OF tho Same Dis.
Swift resembles the ! lnnet- The two latter
carry five guns ind about 40 men. The Red
pole Is still another Runi,oRt OF six 4-inch guns
aud 10 men. while tho Frebrnnd, OF 400 tons,
carries four guns aud 10 men.
irst. the com posite vessel Bon dicea. Rear Admi.
raj Kennedy's nagship. with fourteen guns and
i29 men the Brisk and Cossack. with six guns
Ind about 5j men each; tho Mara.ho1. a vrs-
lei OF the IN" type. stramlng over 10 knots
md carrying six guns and 2l6 men: the Lap
runs and rs men tho SphynX Of seven guns
md 81 men: the Plassy. of two guns and VI
men.
1t will be seen. therefore,. how strong Great
Britain Ia In small aunbonts for river service
Is we'll as In other particulars.