ROYAL. Under the names of the several towns where the royal dock yards are situated, will be found brief notices of those establishments. Under the present heading, a few remarks may be useful concerning the. whole of them collect ively.
Most of the royal ships are built by the government, at one or other of the dock yards at Portsmouth, Plymouth, Sheerness, Chatham, or Pembroke. Each of these establishments comprises covered slips on which the ships are built, docks in which they are kept, and all the appliances for rigging them out for sea. Boat-building and mast making are also carried on; and in some, though not all of the yards, rope-making, sail making, anchor-forging, block-making, and other manufacturing operations connected with the finishing and furnishing of ships. There are also arrangements connected with the storing of guns and other munitions of War. The yards at Plymouth, Gosport, and Deptford are limited to large establishments for victualing the navy; while, of the dock-yards proper, some have appliances for supplying seamen's clothing and neces saries; some for repairing steam-machinery for war steamers; one (at Chatham) for making most of the articles in copper and brass required by the navy. To enable our ships to be repaired and refitted abroad; there are royal dock-yards at Gibraltar, Malta, Halifax, Bermuda, Jamaica, the cape of Good Hope, Ascension, Trincomalee, and Hong-Kong. Since the creation of a steam-navy, and the large substitution of iron for wood in ship-building, an increasing proportion of the royal ships are built in pri vate yards. All the dock-yards are under the admiralty, and each is governed by a distinct set of officers responsible only to that department. The chief officer, called
the superintendent, is generally an admiral, but sometimes only of captain; and the office is deemed an honorable recognition of past services. The superintendent con trols all the other officers, and all the artificers and laborers employed; examines the accounts, authorizes the payments, and is responsible for the stores. When a new ship is to be built, or other work executed, the superintendent receives general instructions from the admiralty, while special instructions are conveyed to other officers more immediately connected with the actual working. In yards were steam-machinery is repaired and fitted, engineers form an important part of the establishment. The artisans of the dock-yards comprise shipwrights, calkers, joiners, smiths, millwrights, block-makers, sail-makers, rope-makers, etc. ; while under these is a large body of laborers.
In 1876-77, £1,323,750 was voted for the dock-yards at home and abroad, including £1,072,334 for wages of workmen and artisans. These charges are exclusive of all materials, and are for the dock-yards only, as distinguished from the victualing yard. The sum of £1,261,320 was voted for stores and materials for building and fitting out vessels for the fleet. Severe strictures have been made from time to time upon the management of our dock-yards. Several committees and commissions have been appointed to investigate the causes of defects, and to suggest remedies; and the reports issued on the subject have been from time to time laid before parliament.
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