Austrian naval strength according to the Dutch newspaper Opregte Haarlemsche Courant dated 26 June 1861

An item reported that in the Adriatic Sea area the situation somehow became more and more complicated. Greece intended to become a naval power and Montenegro tried to obtain a seaport probably for the same course as what they did on land. The journalist did not explain what he meant with the last part of the sentence.(1) The result was that also Austria needed to strengthen her navy. A semi official Austrian newspaper reported that the Austrian navy possessed in 1848 3 sailing frigates, 6 sailing corvettes, 8 brigs, 2 schooners and 3 small steamships which were used in the siege of Ancona and the blockade of Venice. Since then was she increased and included now one screw steam ship of the line, three steam and four sailing frigates, two steam and four sailing corvettes, 3 brigs, 15 paddle wheel steamships, 21 screw steam gun launches, 12 gun yawls, one floating battery armed with 16-48 pdrs, three schooners, four schooner brigs and within some weeks to be added with two armoured frigates of the best design.

Note

1. The secular principality of Montenegro dated from 13 March 1852with Knjaz Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš as first ruler. He was assassinated on 13 August 1860 and succeeded by his nephew Knjaz Nikola. Danilo defeated the Turkish forces on 1 May 1858 causing the Great Powers to recognize the independence of Montenegro de facto.