1813	British and American Navies	152

solid timber, and four inches higher, and two inches thicker, than that of the British 18-gun brig-sloop. The Whiting schooner and her class, on the other hand, measured 75 tons, and mounted four 12-pounder carronades, with a crew of 20 men and boys ; and her bulwark, if it deserved the name, consisted, with here and there a small timber, of an outside and an inside plank.

We trust that the importance of the subject, into which we have entered at such length, will be received as an excuse for this digression ; but, in reality, it is only the concentration of remarks which would otherwise have been scattered over our accounts of the different American actions, and perhaps not so well understood, nor so usefully applied. Previously to quitting the topic of improvements in ship-building, we have one more observation to make. It has already been stated, that the American government is in the habit of appointing an experienced naval captain, to superintend the construction of each of their larger ships of war. This, although accomplished with ease in a small navy like that of the United States, would be quite impracticable in a navy like that of England. But, as in most of the higher classes of British ships it is usual to construct many individuals from one draught, might not that draught, with an accompanying exposé, showing the size of the intended scantling, the number and nature of the ordnance, the length and diameter of the masts and yards, and, in short, every other particular calculated to dispense with the actual inspection of a model, be submitted to a committee of experienced naval officers ? Had any three captains, or commanders, been consulted, when the Bonne-Citoyenne's beautifully proportioned form was proposed to be shortened and contracted for " improvement, " the British navy would never have owned such ships as the Cyrus and her 17 class-mates.

The number of commissioned officers and masters, belonging to the British navy at the beginning of the year 1813, was:

And the number of seamen and marines, voted for the service of; tile game year, was 140,000. *

* See Appendix, No. 6.