WITH respect to the State of the British Navy at the commencement of the present year, it will suffice to refer to the usual abstract of its numbers and strength. * We may notice, however, that two fine line-of-battle classes, L and M, have more than doubled themselves since the beginning of the preceding year. Indeed all the principal columns in the abstract exhibit an increase of numbers ; arising, in part, from newly-built vessels, but chiefly from captures made at the expense of the French, Dutch, and Spanish navies respectively. � The number of British ships of war, wrecked and foundered during the year 1798, is still of considerable amount; � but fewer of the crews, it is gratifying to observe, perished, than amidst the similar mishaps of the preceding year. We may here remark, in passing, that, as respects the French, Dutch, and Spanish navies, the foundered, wrecked, and burnt cases do, in all probability, fall short of the real number, no nation but England publishing any list of the losses that her navy sustains.

The number of commissioned officers and masters, belonging to the British navy at the commencement of the year, was,

* See Appendix, Annual Abstract No. 7.
� See Appendix, Nos. 15, 16.
� See Appendix, No. 17.
� With the rank of commanders.

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