HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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diciously and incorrectly levelled, will revert in tenfold force on the quarterfrom whence it issued, and render its inventor completely confounded by thefolly of his own erring and misdirected shaft.

The northern states of Europe, a term chiefly implying those of Russia, ofSweden, and of Denmark, preserved the same independant quietude which hadalready marked their conduct; their disputes were confined merely to the narrowlimits of their own contracted circle ; they were in general accommodated andsettled without even the necessity of displaying the ensigns of war ; and theirdifferent navies, as well as their commerce, seemed for many years totallv sta-tionary. That of Russia amounted to about eighteen or twenty ships of theline, none of them exceeding eighty guns, with eleven or twelve frigates ofrather considerable force; but, what was somewhat extraordinary, few or nosmaller vessels. That of Sweden consisted of fifteen or sixteen ships of theline, with as many large frigates, and two or three advice-boats or smallervessels ; while that of Denmark exceeded not eighteen ships of the line, withtwelve or fourteen stout frigates. The principle on which the governmentsof these secluded countries acted at this period, is sufficiently apparent fromthe very statement just given of the maritime force they severally maintained;and the immaterial difference in strength that existed between their respectivefleets, fully demonstrated that they were mutually actuated by the humble de-sire of being able to repel an injury, instead of grasping at the possession ofsuch a power as would have enabled them to inflict one. In the form andfashion of their ships they seemed to pay much greater attention to the prac-tice of the Hollanders, and other inhabitants of the United Provinces, thanto those of anv other country : The reason is indeed obvious, and it had beena matter of no small wonder, had the case been otherwise. The navigation ofthe same seas, or of those in addition to them which laboured under preciselythe same inconvenience with respect to sand-banks, tempestuous weather, andshallow harbours, naturally induced an adoption of the system of which the Dutch(to use the general appellation) had before shown them the utility. The samespecies of imitation pervaded the commercial branch of marine, particularly inrespect to the Swedish and Danish nations : so close was the imitation, that themost critical observer could scarcely distinguish, even by actual and direct com-parison, any existing difference between the galliots, or other inferior vessels,belonging to Danish or Swedish subjects, and those built in the ports of Hol-land, which may be considered as their native country.

The same spirit of imitation also generally prevailed, though not without some

exceptions,