HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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structure applicable to the same purposes with those on board which they hadthemselves been accustomed to assert the honour, and vindicate the cause oftheir injured country. Nor, as may readily be augured, did improvement reston the reformation just pointed out. The encrease of dimensions and burthennaturally produced an increase of force, in respect to cannon, an accommoda-tion for a more numerous crew, and a prevention, or at least ease, of many ofthose inconveniences and dangers which vessels of a more antient constructionhad very frequently experienced. In point of force, ships of the first rate hadadvanced from fifty guns to sixty, and afterwards to one hundred ; the tiers ofcannon were augmented from two to three; and the tonnage of the first classof ships became augmented from a thousand, or at most eleven hundred tons, tonearly eighteen hundred.

The tide of improvement appeared to keep a perfect level throughout thewhole of its course. The ship intended to perform distant voyages, and thatwhich was destined for the humbler occupation of domestic commerce, all becameaugmented in proportion to the ranks they respectively held in the maritimeworld ; and the very boats, or skiffs, participated in the general, prevailing prin-ciple. In short, Britain, which had long aspired to the dominion of the seas,now appeared in earnest, as to the establishment of her claim, beyond the powerof competition, or rivalship, and had not those tristful, those destructive eventsintervened, which are too well known, or have been already noticed, thereappears little doubt, but that the pursuit in question, which there is very suffi-cient internal evidence to prove had long been the bent of her natural geniusand inclination, would, long ere it actually did effect that purpose, have raisedher into the first rank and power.

Although the account of the British marine might be expected to sleep forthat period, during which the events already recounted paralysed every mea-sure not immediately, and intimately connected with the pending contest, therewere certainly some events which it would be improper to pass over insilence, as the neglect would consequently render the chain of the narrative atleast unconnected and imperfect. One of the first measures adopted by parlia-ment, after the dispute had proceeded to an open rupture, was to attemptgetting possession of the fleet, as the most certain means of preventing anyexternal succour or reinforcements being brought from foreign countries in aidof the king’s cause. After some altercation, and a good deal of manoeuvring onboth sides, they succeeded completely in their project. The command was

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