01/09/1886 - 08/05/1887

Via Singapore (15 Mar), Batavia (26 Mar) & the Indian Ocean. One of her officers died prior to arrival and he was buried in Woodville Cemetery. Departing (1 June) for Melbourne. There are very few flags which have not sometime or another been seen in the waters of our Gulf, but- special interest was created on Saturday when Cape Borda reported the arrival of a Japanese man-ot-war. Every- body was waiting early on Sunday, but there was not a sign of the 'Jap' till later on, when she was observed coming up under sail and steam. Before the hull rose she had sent aloft topgallant masts and yards, and soon after the harbourmaster and sanitary officers headed off to meet the coming vessel, which slowed down and stopped as the steam-cutter approached. The usual questions as to health of her people being satisfactorily replied to, the harbourmaster took charge and steamed to a good berth close to the ocean steamers' mooring buoy. There the vessel will remain for some time and be at all times open to inspection. She is a corvette which for the Japanese navy was built at Aberdeen and entirely outfitted by British artificers. In appearance from a short distance she would pass as a British vessel, except that she has an immense national flag, with a red ball on a white field. Like modern craft there is no figure-head, but the forefoot is run out into a rainbow. Besides this the composite hull is two-thirds armourded. The rigging and spars aloft are very. heavy and all appliances are of the usual type. The upper deck is a fine clear space right fore and aft, not even encum-bered with boats, all of which are carried on davits outboard. The battery is on the main deck, and consists of six heavy muzzle loading Armstrong guns. There are, also four field-pieces, and quite an armoury of rifles, revolvers, and cutlasses. The after end of the fighting deck is taken up on each side by the staterooms of the officers, the wardroom being a spacious cabin amidships fitted in the usual way with maple and mahogany bulkheads. The captain's cabin is abaft all, and is neatly appointed throughout. Below in 'tween decks the blue jackets have roomy quarters, with mess-tables and utensils, and the galley is amidships just before the engine space. The lower deck has boatswain's lockers and sail room, and below all is a magazine at each end of the vessel. The Ryujo is one out of forty vessels comprising the Japanese Navy, and she has been drafted off for a cruiser and training vessel, being outfitted for an extended cruise. She left Port Shinagawa on September 1, and reached Singapore on February 26. There she made a stay till March 15, and then to Batavia, which was reached on the 10th. She remained till the 28th, and taking another departure has been under sail nearly ever since. She had fine cruising weather, and on coming in with the land raised steam and headed up Gulf. The day before arrival she fell in with some coarse weather, and carried away the jibboom, but it was soon refitted. It was a pleasant surprise to find the whole of the officers quite ready to speak in English. The vessel will remain here about three weeks, and then go on to Melbourne and the sister colonies. The objects of the voyage appear to be merely to make acquaintance with colonial people. The captain and commander will wait on the Governor on Monday. A semi-official visit was paid to the vessel by the Health Officer on Sunday afternoon, and a most interesting half-hour was spent in inspecting some very pretty specimens of Japanese art. . The visitors returned ashore highly pleased with their reception. Register 9/5/1887