GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



27; 



manry, .and volunteers, and the whole of the 

 volunteer artillery will be rearmed with 4.7-inoh 

 siege guns or with 15-pounder field Runs, these 

 latter to be obtained from the Royal Artillery as 

 fast as it can be supplied with modern quick- 

 liring guns. In the reserve battalions for home 

 defense 20,000 men were enrolled in 1900. A fort- 

 night's training was provided for the volunteers, 

 and more than three quarters of them availed 

 themselves of the offer. The volunteers did not go 

 to the war in any numbers, but of the militia, 

 numbering 99,000, inclusive of the militia reserve 

 of 11,000 men, 22,000 were serving abroad in 1900. 

 The regular army of 92,000 men remaining at home 

 was useless for the field, consisting in great part 

 of young men under the age of twenty, not fit to 

 send out of the country until they have attained 

 the necessary maturity, vigor, training, and dis- 

 cipline. The effective strength of the British gar- 

 risons abroad in 1900 was 10,663 men in Malta, 

 5,428 in Gibraltar, 8,827 in Cape Colony and Natal, 

 1,776 in Ceylon, 2,055 in Bermuda, 1,742 in Ja- 

 maica, 1,536 in Barbados and St. Lucia, 1,112 in 

 Wei-Hai-Wei, 1,669 in the Straits Settlements, 

 3,830 in Mauritius, 1,849 on the west coast of 

 Africa, 135 in Cyprus, 771 in St. Helena, and 4,363 

 in Egypt, besides 73,157 in India. These figures 

 include colonial corps, viz., 725 royal Malta ar- 

 tillery, 309 native artillery for Sierra Leone and 

 the West Indies, 130 submarine miners in the East 

 Indies and 141 in the West Indies, 3,334 men in 

 the West Indian regiments, 1,014 in the Hong-Kong 

 regiment, 1,083 in the Chinese regiment, 1,076 in 

 the West African regiment, and 1,100 in the British 

 Central African regiment; total, 9,934 native and 

 colonial troops. 



The Navy. The effective strength of the 

 British navy in the beginning of 1900, excluding 

 obsolete vessels and such as are only suitable for 

 coast defense, was 20 first-class, 24' second-class, 

 and 11 third-class battle ships, 9 second-class ar- 

 mored cruisers, 21 first-class, 45 second-class, and 

 34 third-class protected cruisers, 33 torpedo gun- 

 boats, 80 destroyers, 2 torpedo ships, and 11 first- 

 class and 71 second-class torpedo boats. There 

 were 10 first-class battle ships launched and being 

 fitted for service and 6 more building or projected, 

 2 first-class armored cruisers already launched 

 and 12 building or to be built, 1 small protected 

 cruiser launched and 8 more in hand, and 16 de- 

 stroyers being fitted and 12 under way. The ob- 

 solete and coast-defense armor clads numbered 21, 

 obsolete and small cruisers 28, third-class torpedo 

 boats 95, and of vessels for miscellaneous services 

 4 here were 89, besides 2 not yet completed and 4 

 building or authorized. The unfinished vessels 

 and vessels awaiting armament were 12 battle 

 ships, 16 first-class, 6 second-class, and 10 third- 

 class cruisers, 6 sloop and 4 twin-screw gunboats, 

 41 destroyers, and 1 royal yacht. The number 

 of vessels in commission on Jan. 1, 1900, was 174, 

 exclusive of coast guards, vessels in port service, 

 depot ships, gunboats, and all small craft, and 

 these vessels were stationed as follows: Mediter- 

 ranean and Eed Sea, 43; China, 30; Cape of Good 

 Hope and West Africa, 16; North America and 

 West Indies, 15; Channel squadron, 14; Australia, 

 12; East Indies, 10; Pacific, 8; southeast coast of 

 America, 4; training squadron, 4; surveying, 7; 

 on particular service, 11. 



The type of battle ship which was adopted in 

 connection with the naval defense act of 1889 was 

 that of the Royal Sovereign, launched in 1891, 

 which was followed in the Empress of India, 

 Ramillies, Repulse, Resolution, Revenge, Royal 

 Oak, and Hood, all sister ships, having a displace- 

 ment of 14,150 tons, 18 inches of armor over the 

 VOL. XL. 18 A 



vitals, 13,000 horse power, 17J knots speed, and 

 an armament of 4 13.5-inch guns in barbettes and 

 10 6-inch, 16 6-pounder, and 12 3-pounder quick 

 firers. The Hood is an exception, having her 

 heavy guns mounted in turrets. The Centurion 

 and Barfleur, of 10,500 tons, with 12 inches of 

 armor, 13,000 horse power, a speed of 18 knots, 

 and an armament of 4 29-ton guns in barbettes 

 and 10 4.7-inch, 8 6-pounder, and 12 3-pounder 

 quick firers, are lighter ships of the same type, 

 which was an improvement on the Admiral class, 

 with better protection, higher freeboard, and 

 greater weight of fire. The building of 9 first- 

 class, 29 second-class, and 4 third-class cruisers 

 and 18 torpedo gunboats completed the pro- 

 gramme of 1889. The Majestic type of battle 

 ship was adopted in the programme of 1892, 

 and on the model of the Majestic, launched 

 in 1895, were constructed the Magnificent, Vic- 

 torious, Prince George, Mars, Jupiter, Illustrious, 

 Hannibal, and Caesar, of 14,900 tons, 14-inch armor, 

 12,000 horse power, a speed of 17i knots, and an 

 armament of 4 12-inch guns that can be loaded 

 by hand and are protected by armored shields 

 revolving with the turntables, the guns being 

 mounted in pairs in armored barbettes, 12 6-inch 

 quick-firing guns well protected, 16 12-pounder 

 quick firers of a new design, and 12 3-pounders, 

 4 submerged torpedo tubes and 1 above water, 

 a length of 390 feet, 78 feet extreme breadth, and 

 a mean draught of 28 feet. .The Renown, of 12,350 

 tons, is an improved Centurion, having a better 

 protected and more powerful quick-firing arma- 

 ment, consisting of 10 6-inch, 14 12-pounder, and 

 12 3-pounder guns, and developing a speed of 18 

 knots with engines of 10,000 horse power. The 

 Canopus, launched in 1897 and followed by the 

 Ocean, Goliath, and Albion, is a type designed for 

 speed and quick maneuvering, having a displace- 

 ment of 12,900 tons, w T ith 12 inches of extreme 

 armor and a belt of 6 inches, instead of 9 inches 

 as in the Majestic, engines of 13,500 horse power 

 giving a speed of 18J knots, and carrying 4 12-inch 

 of the new type of breechloaders and 12 6-inch, 

 10 3-inch, and 6 3-pounder quick firers. The 

 Glory and Vengeance, launched in 1899, have a 

 stronger armament. Heavier armor was adopted 

 for the Formidable and Irresistible, launched in 

 1898, of 14,700 tons, engines of 15,000 horse power, 

 making 18 knots, and having a more powerful 

 secondary armament, consisting of 12 6-inch Vick- 

 ers guns and 16 3-inch and 6 6-pounder quick firers. 

 Of this type are the London, Implacable, Bulwark, 

 and Venerable, launched in 1899, having 18 3-inch 

 guns and 8 3-pounders in their quick-firing bat- 

 tery and a 9-inch Krupp steel belt extending to 

 within a few feet of the bow. The* Duncan and 

 Cornwallis have an improved armament. The 

 Russell, Exmouth, Montagu, and Albemarle. of 

 14,000 tons, are a development of the London 

 class, in which a lighter belt is used, one of 7 

 inches, not merely for greater speed but for less 

 draught to enable them to pass through the Suez 

 Canal. Their extreme armor is 11 inches: their 

 armament consists of 2 pairs of 12-inch guns in 

 barbettes, 12 6-inch quick firers, and 12 of the 

 3-inch or 12-pounders and 6 3-pounders; their 

 engines, of 18,000 horse power, are expected to give 

 a speed of 19 knots. All the later battle ships, 

 from the Canopus on, as well as the cruisers, are 

 fitted with Belleville water-tube boilers. The pro- 

 tected cruisers Powerful and Venerable, of 14.200 

 tons, armed with 2 9.2-inch, 12 6-inch quick-firing. 

 18 12-pounders, and 12 3-pounders, have engines 

 of 25,000 horse power and can easily steam ~2'2 

 knots Avith forced draught. The Dido, Doris, and 

 Isis, launched in 1896, displacing 5,600 tons, cany 



