162 Major-General Sir Howard Douglas 



the casualties of navigation, and are therefore less susceptible of 

 that variety of strategy which is frequently practised by hos- 

 tile armies. Though the naval commander cannot place his 

 fleet in ambush, nor, from the state of the weather, can attack 

 his opponent in the most advantageous point, yet surprise and 

 contrivance are not excluded from this mode of warfare. On 

 the contrary, they are frequently the protection of an inferior 

 force, and often terminate the contest between equal powers. 

 Of this, too, we may be assured, that the knowledge of what is 

 possible to be accomplished by an enemy, may lead a comman- 

 der to discover his intentions at the very commencement of an 

 evolution. To execute an unexpected manxjeuvre belongs to ge- 

 nius^ — it cannot he learned from boohs ^Jbr the moment of con- 

 ception is the instant of execution. 



Notwithstanding this, however, books of naval tactics are of 

 great utility in teaching the elements of the science, without a 

 knowledge of which, no man can be an officer adequate to a 

 command. 



The study of the science, too, trains even genius to extend 

 and develope these grand movements which frequently fix the 

 destiny of kingdoms. On this subject, one of the most copious 

 authors is M. Morogues, whose work has been ra nslated into 

 English, and to some editions of which, a division relative to 

 the present practice of the British Navy has been appended*. 



It is justly to be regretted, that few or no authors possessing 

 the requisite science, accompanied with practical experience, 

 have, in this country (with the exception, perhaps, of the small 

 tract on Seamanship by Robison) devoted their attention to a 

 subject of such vast importance to the prosperity of their coun- 

 try. The indifference of Britain^ indeed, is so great, that the 

 lately established Naval College at Portsmouth is suffered to 

 languish, while men of little or no science are appointed to su- 

 perintend the construction of our ships of war, thus rendering, 

 by way of economy, the expense of a fifty gun frigate nearly 

 equivalent to that of a seventy-four. 



• The able work of Admiral Ekins on « Naval Battles," though not pro- 

 fessedly a Treatise on Nautical Evolutions, ought to be read by every British 

 Conmiander who wishes to make himself acquainted with naval tactics, illus- 

 trated by the examples of the most distinguished naval heroes. 



