and long proved herself a capital ship; and the Santa-Leocadia, captured in 1781, measured 952 tons. Indeed, such even still continued to be the difference of ideas in England and foreign countries, as to the due proportion to be observed between the size of the ship and the armament she was destined to carry, that all the French 12-pounder 32s, built since 1761, were about equal in tonnage to the British 18-pounder 38s.

Having already disencumbered the frigate classes of the 44-gun ship, we must now step a little back, to clear them of some minor classes which, owing to their insignificant size and force, in comparison with the frigates we have just been describing, were not worthy of so high a rank. Between 1757 and 1760 four ships were built, and four captured, by the British, averaging about 312 tons, and mounting from 14 to 18 guns on a single deck. In an abstract of 1760, and in another of 1762, these eight ships were classed by themselves as "frigates." Immediately afterwards, however, they were stripped of that name, and placed among the sloops; giving rise to a since well known sub-class, the ship-rigged sloop.

In the year 1775 a new 24-gun class commenced, averaging about 520 tons, and carrying twenty-two 9-pounders on the main deck, with four 3-pounders (in 1780 exchanged for sixes) on the quarterdeck. In or about the year 1735 a 20-gun frigate-class was built, measuring about 430 tons, and mounting 9, instead of 6 pounders. This was undoubtedly an improvement upon No. 9 in the abstract of 1727 ; but, notwithstanding two successive proposals of increased dimensions (one of 1741, to measure 498, and the other of 1745, to measure 508 tons), no subsequent improvement was made in the class. The great difference in size and force, between the 20 and the 28 gun frigate, occasioned the former, at what precise time is uncertain, to take the name of 20-gun post ship; signifying, that she was of the lowest class to which a post-captain could be appointed. Subsequently, the 24-gun frigate became also called a post-ship.

The French adopted a somewhat similar plan; when we are unable to say, but probably about the year 1760. They called all their frigates, from 24 guns downwards, corvettes, a word derived from corvettare, to leap or bound. Lescallier, when treating on the frigate, says, "A vingt canons, on au dessous, ce ne sont plus des frégates : on les appele corvettes, et leur calibre est ordinairement du 8 ou en dessous." In another place he says, " Corvette; espèce de bâtiment fait pour la guerre, de même forme a peu-pres, et portant le même grément qu'une frégate, a la réserve qu'il est plus petit. Les corvettes ont depuis six jusqu'à vingt canons." * Subsequently, the French applied the name to ships of 24 guns. In later times the French have constructed very large flush corvettes, and they

* Vocabulaire des Termes de Marine.