1813	British and American Navies	144

than two-decked ships. It is but justice to Captain William Layman, of the navy, to state, that, in a pamphlet entitled " Precursor to an Expose on Forest Trees and Timber, " &c. published in January, 1813, he recommends the small-class 74 to be cut down, precisely as the Majestic and her two companions were ; and, among his six profile views of ships, that officer gives one of the 74 rasés, in illustration of his remarks. The only point wherein he appears to differ is, in arming the lower deck with long 24 instead of 32 pounders, and the upper, with 68 instead of 42 pounder carronades.

It is evident, from the description we have given of the cut-down 74, that she was much more than a match for the heaviest of the American 44s. The command of the Majestic was given to Captain John Hayes, and that of the Goliath to Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland. It was intended, we believe, that Captain Lord Cochrane should have commanded the Saturn ; but, unfortunately for himself and his country, his lordship was about this time expelled from the service of which he had hitherto been so bright an ornament. The command of the Saturn, after some delay in consequence of this untoward event, was given to Captain James Nash. These three ships were well manned, especially the Majestic and Saturn. The crew of the latter consisted chiefly of west-country volunteers, induced to enter from a belief that Lord Cochrane was to be their captain ; and we are convinced that, if the Majestic and Saturn had fallen in with the President, Constitution, and United-States sailing in company, Captain Hayes would have attacked them, and, we think, with success. As, however, no glory could have accrued from the capture of an American 44-gun frigate by a British cut-down 74, supposing them to have been singly opposed, the utility of reducing the Majestic and her two companions from their former rank in the service has often been questioned.

But some ships were built, to answer the same purpose as the three rasés. They, also, claim a few remarks. The Leander was constructed of pitch-pine, from a draught prepared by Sir William Rule, the ingenious architect of the Caledonia and many other fine ships in the British navy ; and the Newcastle was constructed of the same light wood, from the draught of M. Louis-Charles Barrallier, then an assistant surveyor under Sir William, but now the principal naval architect for the French at Toulon. The first of these ships measured 1572, the other 1556 tons ; and they were both constructed of very thin and inadequate scantling. The establishment of each ship was 30 long 24-pounders on the first or "upper" deck, and 26 carronades 42-pounders, and two, afterwards increased to four, long 24-pounders on the second or "spar" deck ; total, at first 58, then 60 guns, with a net complement of 480 men and boys. The Leander and Newcastle, therefore, in the disposition of their guns, perfectly agreed with the cut-down 74s ; and yet they

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