The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-05-21
Correspondence of the Journal Of Commerce.
LONDON, 18th April, 1917.
THE BRITISH NAVY.

Since the accession of the Tories to office, the at
tention which they have given to the navy mas peeh
of the most minute and devoted character. Every
suggestion for improvement has been mauIeiy consi
dered, and, if deemed important, readily auopted'-
Every vessel aoa has been increased IN hands, even
above what is termed ga full complement. Add
tiona marines have also been added augmenting, in
soops and briggs, full company with captain, in
stead of sergeant and corporaps guard. Heavy
guns have been fitted out in for nearly every
Ship, and and more rapid exercise for the
"small men" has been effectively introduced.
The sixteen steamers, first and second rate, ordered
to be laid down by the late Administration, to be
expedited with extraordinary dispatch, and four of
them to be ready next month for which purpose
twogangs of shipwrghts are now constantly EN-
poyed upon them new system, or school for gun
mel y, has also been established and seamen are now
entered on board experimental ship for instruc-
ton in practice They to enter for five years ser
vice. ''seamen gunners" and from this class only,
for the future will gunners and gunner s-mates be Sc
lected Such men, also, to have preference In the
selections for boaswains and all the ratings for petty
officers are to be open to their appointment When
discharged into sea-gong ships their pay will be two
shipgs month extra, over that of an able seaman,
and when the five years shall have expired, if their
conduct has been good, and they enter Immediately
additional two shlllings month will be given TO
them. If they re-enter third tme they to have
five shilIings month, over and above their pay
as seamen and petty officers There can be no doubt
to the potency Oths plan, and that will be found
wise and judicous. A most valuable body OF men will
be thus raised, and the guns of vessels will be inf
nltey better served than at present, though now
they appear to be handled and fired in the most rapid
and efficient manner.
In connection with the Navy may as well men
ton the adaptation of 5horse power disc engine to
pinnaces. 1t is the invention of Commander Carpen-
ter, of the powerful steam fiigate Geyser under
orders to sail for China and whose guns lib cwt
l the pinnace on the Thames, and she went along
in first rate style. This is very important inven-
ton, in running up creeks and rivers it will enable
the men to handle their arms, instead of keeping to
their oars, very frequently, too, under calling fires.
The Lords of the Admiralty were present, and SO
much did they approve of the same, that they have
ordered experimental mnnace to be fitted forth
WITH previous to its general adoption on active SER
vice.
1t is also in contemplation to fit up frgate the
Penelope, AZ guns, nearly built with powerful
steam engines, still retaining the present standing rig
ging. The understanding apparatus is tc be used,
and, believe, the Archmedean screw. Other fiji
gates will be fitted up in a similar manner, particular
ly all those intended to be used troop ships for spe
cial emergency, should the proposed arrangements
prove satisfactory.
adopted in the selection of naval instructors and
schoomasters. The latter is entirely TO be done
away with in the service, and, for the future, such
parties are to be designated chaplains or naval
instructors" All laymen appointed must be compe-
tent to instruct the young officers in arithme-
tic, vulgar and decimal fractions-the first SIX the
eleventh and twelfth books of Euclid and their ap-
plicatons to measurement of planes and solid bodies,
plane and spherical trigonometry, and the various
problems In surveying, the measurement of heights
and distances navigation, and nautical astronomy,
particularly the principles which the various for
mulB tor ascertanng constructed; and practical
astronomy, so far as 1t may be required for determn
ing the latitude and longitude all cases the use of
mathematical and nautical insruments-the quadrant,
sextan c)mpasses, and chronometers the theory of
projectiles and its application to gunnery the clas
sizes and Frenchpreference always to be given to the
candidate who Is acquainted with drawing and other
modern languages in addition to the above requisite
qualifications
You will perceive that it not in portion of the
navy that greater efficiency is required but that both
officer and man will be practically and theoretically
better educated and instructed than hitherto, and
that the system and the service will be materially
elevated.
& The"Mechancs' Magazine" mentions that the Ad-
mraty have given instructions for the building and
equipment of steam frigate of $50 horse-po
to have engine for 600 tons Of fuel, complete
stowage under matches for 1000 troops with four
months provisions and stores, exclusive of crew of
$50 men, and to be armed with twenty guns of the
heaviest calibre besides carronades The vessel is
be ready for before the ensuing year Perhaps
this statement might allude to the Penelope
whether it does not it only tends to show that the
present men are not sleeping at their PORTFOLIOS
w 18th half dozen ships of this force at command
says the editor of the Mechanics Magaz me- &c 900
men might, within three weeks from the first inte-
gence ofthe news from Afghanistan, have been land
ed at Alexandria, marched in six days through Egypt
with leave of the Viceroy) to Cosser, the Red
Sea, and transported thence in nine days more to
kurrachee, on the south coast of Scinde"
complete recognizing of the several dock-yards
is talked of as likely take place. Great corupons
have been found in the Surveyors department, and
they have become so glazing under the regime of Sir
at last to interfere. Sir William Also has been con-
strucng vessels variance with every scientific rule
In the art of ship-buding, and several Of his ships
have proved to he failures-compete and most palpa
BILE failures. Three millions of money have been thus
expended, and now the present Admiralty have d.
rected aninqury to be regularly and searchiugIy in
stituted and carried out. You will notice in the daily
papers that committee of master shipwrights, from
the various government dock yards have been ordered
to assemble, and can you it is for the above
purpose 1t is expected that the Admiralty will abo-
sh the office of surveyor, and appoint another naval
captain as civil architect whose duty it will be to see
vessels built upon plans which may be approved of by
competent authority, and he will not be empowered TO
adopt any crude notions of his own. The cores
pondcnt of the Britannia of yesterday says "Their
lordshps the Admiralty may be able to act in future
on more solid grounds than their predecessors in the
construction of the "Wooden Walls" and place the
Navy in position to meet the foe in the Atlantic
any open sea, such as the intuitve" ships could not
venture to sail in, without hazarding defeat by their
great imperfections which untitled them to contend
with rough and heavy weather." A ninety gun ship
anu my gun ale 10 De lalu down on plans
sultng from the suggestions of the above named COM
mittee.
The splendid model iron steam frigate Guadalupe,
has been launched from the private dock yard at NORTH
Birkenhead, Liverpool. Her length on deck is 100
feet, beam 30 feet tonnage 800 TONS and engines of
100 horse power. She is fitted up like the ordinary
second class frigates of the British Navy
That fine fleet of steam ships, for the conveyance
OF the mails to the West Indies are likely to become
entirely under the management of the government
the directors OF the COmnanv hav fai
contract with the Post Office and clause in the deed
Will enable the Admiralty to take the whole concern
into its own hands At present the Company receives
upwards OF two hundred thousand pounds sterling