HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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country. The American oak, owing: to causes before assigned, has longr been no-torious for its propensity to rapid decay ; and the theorist who formed the planto be pursued and executed by the manual labour of the practical artist, provedinfinitely superior in his branch, to the mechanical colleague, who generally ma-nifested but trivial knowlege, and still less diligence. From among the infi-ll itv of vessels fitted for war, and which, including those belonging to privateindividuals, rewarded the activity of the British cruizers, not one tenth partwere considered worthy of employ'when in the hands of their captors, althoughnearly the whole of them had been represented by their first possessors as far ex-ceeding in condition, as well as construction, those of every country in the uni-verse. This circumstance is, however, to be considered as in great measure merelvtemporary, and owing to particular causes, among which, the existing pressure ofthe times may be considered as the principal. Nature, however, appears tohave constituted insurmountable obstacles to an equality of duration, whenbrought in competition with the shipping of Europe; so that, although the inge-nuity of their architects may, in many respects, be entitled to the most un-qualified applause, it would be an act bordering on gross flattery, judging fromwhat has happened, to extend the approbation further.

After a continued contest of nearly two years duration, America found her-self incompetent to effect her purpose of successful resistance without the extra-neous aid of naval alliance. It was found indispensably necessary on many occa-sions, for the purpose of covering a variety of operations, which could not be un-dertaken without the most evident rashness, in the presence even of the limitedsquadron employed by the mother country in that quarter ofthe world. Francehad long beheld with envy the increasing consequence of Britain, and an oppor-tunity so apparently favourable to the task of humbling a rival whom she bothfeared and detested, was not to be overlooked. America required succours, andthe ministers of Louis XVI. were ready to afford them even before they were de-manded. From the moment the late war had concluded, the utmost exertions hadunceasingly been made to restore the maritime consequence of the country lastmentioned, and renovate that navy which had been reduced by the events ofthe preceding war to less than one hundred sail, including those of the mostinferior class. Their builders during the preceding peace, appeared to haveabandoned their former system, of constructing no vessels higher in rate thansuch as mounted eighty-four guns on two decks, no less than six three-decked

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