HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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CHAPTER TIIE THIRD.

Condition of the British Navy at the Commencement of the Eighteenth Century .■—The Augmentation which it experienced during the latter Part of the Reign of

William III.—Its State at the Time of that Monarch’s Death. — Recommence-ment of Hostilities with France, and Account oj the British Fleet sent on theExpedition against Cadiz—the Failure of that Enterprize—its subsequent Suc-cess against Vigo.—Force employed during the Year 1704-, under the Orders ofSir George Rooke and Sir Cioudesley Shovel.—Account of the Battle which tookplace off Malaga.—Statement of the British Force employed during the subse-quent Years of the JVar in the Mediterranean end the Atlantic.—Recapitulation ofthe Number of British Ships employed in the West Indies ; exhibiting the Forceand Number of the Vessels in that Station in each particular Year. — Remarks onthe Civil (Economy and Management of Maritime Affairs during the wholeReign. — The Murmurs of the British Merchants, in Consequence of the pre-tended Neglect shewn to the Commercial Interest—with other Griemnces con-tained in various Petitions presented to the House of Peers. — Report of theirLordships thereon. — Answer of his Royal Highness Prince George of Denmarkto the Remonstrance—with cursory Observations on the Whole of the Proceedings.

''IIE conclusion of the peace at Ryswic necessarily produced a relaxation

JL from the actual equipment of ships of w ar; but it had not the same effecton the construction or preparation of them, so that they might be soon put in a stateof active service in any case of sudden emergency. The royal navy, at the con-clusion of the seventeenth century, had acquired an increase during the lasttwelve years, which w'ere it not established on grounds incontrovertible, and evenindubitable, might excite much room in future ages for historic doubt and thecavil naturally attendant on remote search.

The augmentation of the British navy had not been confined merely to theincrease of numbers, but in many instances had included the enlargement ofthe ships themselves. Eleven ships of the third rate, mounting eighty guns each,were launched within the first five years of the preceding reign ; so that thenumber of ships of w’ar actually composing the fleet, became more than doubledere the conclusion of the seventeenth century. The experience derived from the

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exertions