ADMIRAL, the title of the highest rank of naval officers. The word is generally supposed to have been derived from the Arabic emir or amir, a lord or chief mumenim, "commander of the faithful;" "commander of the forces"). Thus the early English form was amiral or ammird (occurring once in Par. Lost): and so it is still preserved in French. In Spanish the word isadmirante or almirante; in Italian, antnziraglio. The term seems to have been introduced into Europe during the crusades, and to have been first used in a definite sense by the Sicilians, and afterwards by the Genoese. About the end of the 13th c. it came into use in France and England. The first English admiral of the seas (amiral de la rner du roy d' Angkterre) of whom there is record was William de Leybourne, 1286. His office, however, was not that of a com mander, but embraced those general and extensive powers afterwards associated with the title of lord high admiral of England ; that is, both the administrative functions now vested in the lords commissioners of the admiralty (five in number), and the judicial authority belonging to the present high court of admiralty. The office of lord high admiral was last filled by the duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV. It had previously been in com mission from 1708 to 1827. On his resignation in 1828, the office was again put in com mission. See ADMIRALTY, COURT OF.
In the British navy the admirals are distinguished into three classes: Admirals, vice admirals. and rear-admirals; the admiral carrying his colors at the main, the vice-admiral
at the fore, and the rear-admiral at the mizzen mast-head. In former times, each grade was subdivided into three sections, known as admirals (or vice or rear admirals) of the red. of the white, and of the blue, respectively. The flag hoisted by the admiral (thence called flag-oflicer) agreed in color with his section ; and all the ships under his command carried ensign and pendant of the same hue; but the distinction was otherwise without practical effect, and is now abolished. Admiral of the fleet is a higherrank, conferred at the will of the sovereign. The rates of full or sea pay of flag-officers are as follows: Admiral of the fleet. per day, £6; admiral, £5; vice-admiral, £4; rear-admiral, £3. An adntiral commanding-in-chief receives a day additional at home, and 10s. abroad as table money. In 1878 there were 65 flag-officers in the British navy: viz., 3 admirals of the fleet, 16 admirals. 16 vice-admirals, and 30 rear-admirals. In the same year, the number of flag-officers retired and on reserve half-pay was upwards of 150. The admiral of the fleet takes rank with a field•marshal, admirals with generals, vice-admirals with lieuten ant-generals, and rear-admirals with major-generals,