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AUSTRALIAN NAVAL STATION.
THE NEW ADMIRAL.
Rear - Admiral Lewis Anthony Beau-
mont, the new Commander - in - Chief of
the Australian station, in succession to
Rear - Admiral Pearson, arrived in Sydney
on the morning of the 18th inst.
Rear-Admiral Pearson's term of office,
expired on the 19th. With the members
of his staff he returns to
London by the Orient Company's
R.M.S. Orizaba, which left Sydney
on that day. Upon his departure Admiral
Beaumont hoisted his flag on the
Royal Arthur.
Our now admiral is only in his 54th
year. He was born in May, 1847, and en-
tered the Navy as a lad. He was engaged
as a midshipman in the operations
against the Malays, in 1875-76, for which
I he wears the medal and clasps. His pro-
motion has been rapid. He was only 11
months a "sub," and had his second stripe
when barely 20. He was less than 10 years
a lieutenant, and he attained his post
rank in less than six years from becoming
a commander, and his flag just 15 years
later. His promotion has been well earn-
ed, for though he has no history of war
service to record of importance, he has
seen one of those campaigns against the
elements which try mon far more than
actual fighting, and has ably filled important
administrative posts.
As a lieutenant, he served with the
Arctic expedition under Sir George
Nares, in 1875-76, and his services therein
gained him his promotion to commander,
and for it he wears the Arctic medal with
its snow white ribbon. On his promotion
to captain, he was appointed naval at-
tache for Europe, but was soon selected
by Lord Northbrook, the then First Lord
of the Admiralty, for the post of private
secretary, and in that capacity accom-
panied his Lordship on his special mission
to Egypt, in August, 1881. As a captain
also he hoisted his broad pennant as a
commodore of the second - class in com-
mand of the training squadron. Subse-
quently he filled the important post of
director of naval intelligence.
In 1895 he was appointed aide-de-camp
to the Queen, an appointment he of course
vacated on attaining flag rank, in 1897.
In March, 1899, he hoisted his flag on
board the Warspite, to assume the com-
mand of the Pacific station. He is an
authority on up-to-date seamanship, having
compiled examination questions for
the training squadron, and edited the re-
vised edition of Allan's "Seamanship."
He is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical
Society.
Admiral Beaumont's first flag command
was the Pacific squadron, where he was
serving when appointed to the Australian
station. The Admiral has always been
a prominent figure and a man of mark to
those in the service, and is admittedly
one of the most accomplished officers in
the service, his strong point being gun-
nery. The Admiral is a linguist, an
artist of no mean order, an athlete (or
was), and a superb swordsman, a charm-
ing talker and writer, and a rare musi-
cian, for a sailor. He stands just 6ft.
high, dark complexion, of rather slight
build, and a very few years ago was allow-
ed to be one of the handsomest officers in
the Queen's navy.
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