'Much gratification has been expressed in Glasgow and over the Clyde district generally, that the contracts for all six torpedo cruisers, for the construction of which tenders were recently asked by the Admiralty, have been placed on that river, the successful offers being Messrs. James and George Thomson, of Clyde-bank. These vessels are to be of what may be called the "Scout" class, that being the name of the cruiser which is now being built for the Navy by the same firm. They may be said to be of a new type, the special design of which is that, with very limited dimensions, they shall have a very high rate of speed. It has been stated that in all thirty-seven firms in the various shipbuilding centres of the three kingdoms were supplied with specifications of the new warships, and seventeen of those firms are connected with the Clyde, only twelve of whom, however, lodged tenders with the Admiralty.'