The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-18 00:00:00

MANNINGTH NA
V

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—To our insular position may be ascribed, per-
haps, through ages, our integrity as a people and em-
pire. Essentially it has had to do with—has indeed
formed us—a maritime people. The sea has not only
been a natural defence for us, but as the necessary
medium of access to other nations, it has invited us
to its bosom, made us familiar with its sportings, and
has formed the basis of our greatness and strength.
To our outgoings upon the seas must be ascribed our
commercial greatness, and our political influence
among the nations. The growth of our marine is the
natural result of our geographical situation ; and the
matchless strength of the naval—the right arm of our
country—and its successes, are the legitimate products
its necessary continual exercise. For such power
Jo, 'Eced with us we may be thankful, and of it justly
id •nt ; and our delight, as a people, should be in its o,
. and the full maintenance of its efficiency and.
Indeed, the intelligence and the corn-
supre r", e the country, if consulted, would with
• out,, " Uphold, increase, at whatever
costre
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state of efficiency our navy should always stand, and
that whatever can be made subsidiary to it, should
secure encouragement from the Government and the
nation.

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s-arly given to add strength to other
num-
bers of them are
navies than ours; tan; what difficulties are encoun-
tered in moments of peril, to man, with full comple-
ments, our " wooden wane." It is true we have
our coasting vessels in numbers—isarticularly in the
coal trade—on which we rely with some confidence
for a considerable supply of brave and seasoned sea-
men ; but, notwithstanding all these, it strikes me
that a school might be formed, of such vast extent
and utility, and possessed of such self-sustaining
power, as well as producing immense current benefit
to the country at large, as would prove of the last ser-
vice in case the empire should ever be pressed, in its
most vital quarter, by a coalition of powerful foes.
Now, fur the formation of such a school as that I
am about to propose, there are many concurring fa-
vourable circumstances, and some urge it reasons be-
yond what I have already stated.
We have a rapidly increasing and necessitoele po-
pulation. The demand for, and the consumption of,
food is in an increased corresponding ratio. rt is
supposed, perhaps truly, that double the present
amount of provisions supplied to our hungry and
teeming masses, could be consumed by them with vast
advantage and infinite satisfaction. The facilities
and general intercourse with mankind at large, pro-.
mote such supply ; but immediately and among our-
selves, the progressive extension of railroads, the
almost universal intersection of the entire country bT
them, present an easy and swift mode of transit to
the interior, and every part of these islands, of the
products, not only of other lands, but of the neigh-
bouring seas.
Vast attention has been paid to increase the pre,
ductive powers of the soil, and with the aid of science'
and capital much has been accomplished ; but how-
little attention has been bestowed upon that endless
depository of food for human subsistence, the sea,
where are exhaustless treasures of food to be had
along all our coasts, and to which, by its very abun-
dance, Providence calls upon us to take, eat, and be full.
So scanty is the supply of fish, excepting on our sea-
board, that in many of the interior parts of the king-
dom the people scarcely know how to prepare it for
the table, yet it constitutes a most acceptable, de-
sirable, and nutritious article; and were it only
taken and supplied in abundance, as easily it might
be, the general comfort would be promoted, and the
means of the community at large very much in-
creased, for, instead of its being offered for sale ire
limited quantities, in only some localities, and at high
prices, it might be in every market, in vast abundance,
and at exceeding low prices.
Admitting, then, that such vast supplies of an ex-
cellent and nourishing food are at hand—may be had
along our whole coast for the trouble of taking it up.
from our seas—would not the formation of fisheries,
co-extensive with our extendsd sea-board, be equally
as worthy the attention of scientific societies, of the
wealthy, and of the Government itself, as are agri-
cultural or any other societies whatever ? But to re-
?urn to the argument with which I set out—the policy
and necessity of keeping up the full and commanding
efficiency, the naval power and capabilities of our vast
empire—would not this, indeed, prove a nursery of
men, of men not removed at the bidding of commerce
to every quarter of the globe, but of men—
seasoned men, fearless and brave, around our
own homesteads, at our very doors, and pre-
senting such a front of preparedness as any
Government might glory in, and account strength ?
To give efficiency to such a body, its formation being
accomplished by due encouragement, let the idea of
drilling our militia, only, in this case, at sea instead
of on land, be carried out. Let proper seasons for
the different sections of our coast, the least productive
on such lines of coast be chosen, for taking up all the
enrolled eligible men of the class for ship practice for
a limited period, say one month annually, and within
our own seas. For inducement, let bounties be given.
Let Government sanction be afforded, and a new ele-
ment of national strength will spring into existence,
which, concurrently with those already existing, will
constitute us, at all times, a prepared and increasingly
strong nation.
Thus prepared for every contingency, we shall best
avoid war, and peacefully and triumphantly march on
to fulfil the high mission which Providence has
assigned us, of advancing and extending civilisation,
commerce, religion, and good-will to all men, until
all the earth shall be bound up in the bonds of one
common interest and brotherhood.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
A COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER.
Stirling, Sept.l3, 1844.