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Appendix No. 9.

NETHERLANDS.

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520

At the latest available Returns there were :—

Auxiliary Squadron--

Two iron-clad rams-

One of 600 horse-power, carrying 256 Europeans, 69 natives, and four 28-centim. and four

12-centim. rifled guns, the latter probably Krupp breech-loaders, draught 20 feet.

One of 400 horse-power, 243 Europeans, 53 natives, and four 23-centim. and four 12-centim.

rifled guns, draught 18 feet.

Two screw steamers-

One 450 horse-power, 215 Europeans, 57 natives, with six 17-centim. and four 12-centim.

guns, 20 feet draught.

One 280 horse-power, 141 Europeans, 41 natives, six 16-centim. guns, 18 feet draught.

We shall not further distinguish Europeans from natives; the latter average about one-fifth of the crews in the regular ships.

Colonial marine www

Two frigates, guard-ships at Batavia and Soerabaia, each about 160 men, 10 and 28 guns.* One 1st class screw steamer, 180 men, 14 guns, 250 horse-power, 17 feet draught.

*

Seven paddle-wheel steamers, 2nd and 3rd class, carrying from 120 to 150 men, 200 horse-

power, and 2, 4, 4, 6, 6, 6, and (?) guns, 11 feet draught.

Seventeen steamers, 4th class, one screw, the remainder paddle, of 70 to 90 horse-power, carrying from 80 to 100 men, and 1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6, and (?) guns, 11 feet draught.

One gun-boat, apparently sailing-vessel, one gun.

One paddle-wheel steamer, no particulars.

Or thirty-three ships in all.

We have not certain details of all the above guns, but we gather that, with the exception perhaps

of some of those on the guard-ships, they are all from 12 to 16-centim. rifled guns, the latter predomi- nating.

(b.) What is known as the Government marine :-

Eight sea-going steamers, chiefly paddle-wheel, from 50 to 80 horse-power, and about 50 men, mostly natives, and five to six guns.

Six river-steamers, from 20 to 60 horse-power, three to six guns, 30 to 40 men, the nature of the guns not known, but some of them rifled.

The crews are armed with the "Beaumont" breech-loader.

A small screw steamer and two sailing-vessels are engaged in the lighthouse service.

A small paddle-wheel steamer on duty at Batavia.

Two other small steamers building at Dasoom, and nine armed boats, from two to three guns, in reserve at Soerabaia and Batavia; these are sailing cutters.

There are, besides, assigned to various stations for revenue and police purposes, fifty-two cutters mostly armed; fourteen of these were, however, deficient at the last accessible Returns.

There are, therefore, in all, eighteen steamers, and from forty to fifty cutters available.

The armament of the cutters is not known in detail, but may confidently be put down as iron or bronze, swivel and other guns, from 1 to 3-pounders.

Nothing is known of the armament of the crews.

(c.) The steam-launches. There are probably from fifteen to twenty of these, some being adapted for torpedo-service, but their number is not accurately known.

(d) The steam-packets under Government subsidy, which can at any time, on payment of arbi- tration value, be taken over by the Government.

The fleet to which it is believed this rule specially applies is that of the Indian Netherlands Steam-ship Company, consisting of, at latest reports:

Four steamers from 200 to 600 tons, and 60 to 80 horse-power.

Nine steamers from 600 to 1,000 tons, and from 120 to 200 horse-power.

Eleven steamers from 1,000 to 1,800 tons, and from 150 to 200 horse-power.

Or twenty-four ships in all.

There is, however, a vessel, the "General Van Swieten," of 1,400 tons, 200 horse-power, which is mentioned in the shipping lists, and apparently also belongs to this Company, as it is of much larger size than the other local ships, although omitted from the list of their ships.

It would raise the ships to twenty-five of the Indian Netherlands Steam-ship Company.

Besides, there are plying from the Netherlands to India the ships of the following Dutch Com- panies :—

Netherlands Steam-ship Company and Java Steam-ship Company---

One steamer of 1,400 tons, 650 horse-power.

Ten steamers from 2,300 tons to 3,500 tons, and 1,000 to 1,600 horse-power.

Rotterdam Lloyd Steam-ship Company-

Six steamers from 2,100 to 2,500 tons, and 800 to 1,000 horse-power.

Of which the steamers happening to be in Indian waters would probably be available for war or transport purposes.

Nine steamers of the "Messageries" ply to India, of 3,000 to 3,500 tons, but they would not be available unless France and Holland were in alliance.

Besides, in the shipping lists there are, belonging to various places, nine small steamers from 60

to 200 tons.

Six larger steamers from 300 to 700 tons, hailing from Menado, Oleh-leh, Banda, Bandjermassin, Batavia, and Billiton, all of low horse-power, and probably traders.

* These guns probably old.

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