In George III.'s reign the dockyard of Pembroke was established. The parliamentary vote for the service of the navy, 1839-40, was as follows :— The following tables will show the force of the British navy at three distinct periods, namely, the breaking out of the French revolutionary war ; a few years subsequent to the peace; and in 1839: also the nave force of other countries poesesaing a navy, in 1S39 :— Until the Restoration there does not appear to have been any precise division into claases, nor have we any account of the armament of ships. At that time certain ships were ordered to be built to carry the following:— lit Rate. 2nd Rate. 3rd Rate.
Description of Guns. 780 teen. 660 men. 4; 0 men.
Cannon .42-pounders . . 26 Demleannen=32-pounclent . . — 26 26CulverIns =18.pounders . . 28 28 Demlculvcrins=12-pounders 26 Sakers= 6.pounders . . . 28 2G Forecastle . . . . 4 4Quarter.deek . . . . 12 10 10 3.ponnders . . . . 2 2 4 Total number of guns . . 100 DO 70There was, however, no uniformity preserved ; and in 1745 a com mittee was appointed, which recommended certain changes in the rating and arming, which however were not adhered to any more than the former systems. At the peace the Board of Admiralty represented this to the Prince Regent in a memorial, and a system was adopted; but the introduction of ships of much larger tonnage and wholly different armament has rendered the classification obsolete. The classification now in use is as follows : 1. First Rates, to comprise all ships carrying 210 guns and upwards, or the complements of which consist of 1000 men or more.
Seeond Rates, to comprise one of her Majesty's yachts, and all ships carrying under 110 guns and more than 80 guns, or the comple ments of which are under 1 000 and not less than 800 men.
Third Rates, to comprise her Majesty's other yachts, and all such vessels as may bear the flag or pendant of any admiral superin tendent or captain superintendent of one of her Majesty's dock yards; and all snipe carrying 80 and not less than 60 guns, or the complements of which are under 800 and more than GOO men.
Fourth Rates, to comprise all frigate-built ships of which the comple meats! are 600 and not leas than 410 men.
Fifth Rates, to comprise all ships the complements of which are 400 and not less than 300 men.
Sixth to consist of all other ships bearing a captain.
2. Sloops : To comprise all vessels commanded by commanders.
3. All other ships commanded by lieutenants, and having complements of not less than 60 men.
Smaller vessels, not classed as above, to have such smaller comple ments as the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty may from time to time direct.
In l839 it will be seen that England was in reality no longer able to meet a sudden emergency. The public voice aided the discernment and energy of Coverntnent, and a change was resolved on. Prosperity
had proved a dangerous narcotic. The question of war or peace had been considered as one of were national income and expenditure, rather than one of vital importance, as involving our defence and safety. A prevalent feeling that a preening necessity had arisen led the Govern ment to arm and man a few ships, until they grew into a Channel squadron ; and Spithead once more showed to a new generation Borne result. of navel preparation. Then for a time the rulers of England were, from public encouragement, more free to enter upon a wider course, which soon told upon the resources pre-eminently possessed by this country. New requirements of mimeo resulted in immense changes in the form, mode of arming, and propulsion of ships-of-war.
At this period the Vernon frigate was stated in triumph to be larger than a first-rate of the year 1745; the said Vernon being of the measurement of 20S0 tons. But so great has been the advance of naval architecture as a sziene,e, as compared with preceding years, that in 1860 we find the said Vernon, of 51 guns, lying in the :Medway, a mere pigmy in comparison with other frigates, one of which, the Galatea, of 26 guns, is of the burden of 3202 tons.
It is really difficult in a subject of such vast range as that of our navy to select judiciously, or to reject advisedly, details conducive to our purpose. During the last fifteen yaws the question of naval strength has been growing into huge dimensions, as nourished by the stirring activity of our rulers, consequent upon the immense changes which various causes have produced. Among these causes steam has so deeply influenced all naval matters, that the navy of 1860 cannot easily be compared with that of any previous period ; nor is it easy to convey an accurate notion of the extent of such changes within the proper limits of an article in a Cyclopaslia. The very lines of demar cation between long familiar terms have been absorbed and obliterated. As an instance, the words corvette, or frigate, or sloop, or brig, kc., give now no positive idea of the powers of ships described by these terms. The lines of construction, the proportions of the extre mities, the description of armament, as consisting of solid or hollow shot, or as round or cylindrical, pointed, curved, or truncated,— investigation of all these matters in naval warfare, tending towards greater weight of metal in guns, in order to facilitate longer ranges lo projectiles, such ranges still further depending for accuracy upon tho peculiar shape of the gun-chamber or bore, whether as circular or hexagonal, &c., or as grooved or rifled,—all these, we say, throw upon the naval architect a demand for change in the forma of vessels, and a malts of considerations, of which his predecessors had little or no experience.