More Arethusas in place of Leanders

How many more cruisers could Britain have built by choosing Arethusas instead of Leanders?

The estimate is about nine or ten Arethusas instead of eight Leander and Amphion ships, with a possible later nine-gun derivative based on La Argentina.

Replacing the Leander and Amphion programme with smaller Arethusas would trade individual capability for additional ships within the same tonnage allowance. Using the six-for-five comparison, eight larger cruisers might become roughly nine or ten smaller ones. The firepower difference is judged small enough to make that an attractive possibility for some duties. La Argentina supplies an alternative path: a larger derivative with nine guns could form a second Arethusa batch. That raises a further choice between developing the small-cruiser family and building the Crown Colonies.