1809	British and French Fleets	93

THE abstract which now comes under notice is so far remarkable, that several of its principal totals have arrived at their maximum of height. * The number of cruising line-of-battle ships in commission remains the same as in the preceding abstract; but an increase of one in the "ordinary" column makes 127 as the sea-service total. The increase of five in the line grand-total is of far less consequence.

The number of cruisers, line and under-line, in commission appears to have been 684 ; and the numbers that approach the nearest to it are to be found in the abstracts on a each side, No. 16 showing 618, and No. 18, 664. The total of sea- service cruisers belonging to the British navy, at the commencement of the year 1809, stands at 728 ; and the two next highest numbers appear also in abstracts Nos. 16 and 18, one being 673, the other 699. As the difference between the grand and the minor totals at the foot of the columns is made up entirely of vessels that are unseaworthy, or deemed to be so, it will be unnecessary to dwell upon the excess of the grand-total of cruisers in this abstract, over the corresponding total in any other

The general grand-total, of which the cruising and only effective total forms, in the present abstract, scarcely two thirds, and in some of the others much less, might also be passed over without notice, were it not, in addition to being the highest in amount that occurs throughout the series, the only total usually referred to as indicative of the strength of the British navy. The total that Steel gives, in his February list for the present year, is 1140, including 59 hired vessels. These deducted leave 1081, 20 more than the abstract total; a difference discoverable, almost wholly, among the building ships, those in the abstract being 82,

* See Appendix, Annual Abstract No. 17

^ back to top ^