THE abstract of the British navy, for the commencement of the present, advances but slowly upon that of the preceding year. In the line-total there is a decrease of three cruisers ; but the commission column shows an increase of six, and the increase of cruisers, line and under-line, amounts to 63.* The number of French national ships captured by the British during the year 1794 amounts to 36 ; of which number, 27 (and of these 24 only as cruisers) were added to the British navy. � The latter lost, during the same period, 17 vessels ; of which nine, including one of the line, fell into the hands of the enemy. �

Of the 15 ships that remained of those building at the commencement of the war, four had been launched ; also 20 of the 24 ordered in the year 1793, and 16, all of a small description, out of the 31 � ordered in 1794. Among the latter was a first-rate, originally intended to be a 100-gun ship, but subsequently ordered to be made large enough to carry 120 guns, besides poop-carronades. Of this ship we shall say more, when we come to the abstract of the year succeeding that in which she is launched.

During the year 1794 an admiralty order was issued, directing that all frigates, down to the 18-pounder class of 32s inclusive, should in future be constructed with four, instead of three inch bottoms; whereby, it was considered, the ships would be more strong and durable, and, in the event of grounding, be able to bear the shock with less injury to their frames.

* See Appendix, Annual Abstract No. 3.

� See Appendix, No. 15.

� Ibid. No. 16.

� The deduction of the 16 is already made in the "ordered'' column of the abstract ; as, indeed, is the case in every similar instance. All ships, in either of the " launched" columns of one abstract, that are not to be found in the "building" column of the preceding one, must have been ordered to have been built since the date of the latter.