_^^8 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



and armament, or gunning, as it hi.5 Majesty's ships, were to be as 



was called, was proposed, but the follow: — 



latter was not adopted till the year n » /- ». 



T.r» J tu 1 1 • ^^^'^- Guns. Men. 



1/42, and then only as applying ^ _ ^qq S.50 or 7.^0 



to ships built since 1740. g qq] .^q ^^ ^gO 



In 1742 the ships of 20 guns . gy 650 or 600 



or the sixth rate, were nicreased o < . 



,' ^ , I/O 520 or 460 



to 24 guns and 1 60 men, and . g^ 420 or 380 



this became for tlie time the low- 4 < . 



, , ^ ^ , . i 50 3.o0 or 2b0 



est class of post sups. 5 44 280 or 220 



In the year 1 / 4o, the Board of g ^^ 1 60 or 14y 



Admiralty, observing that no 



" establishment or regulation for On this establishment, it is to be 



"building ships had been made observed, that the eighty-gun ships 



" since the year 1719, which had of the third rate were on three 



" been long discontinued ; that decks, and that the Board of Ad- 



" instead thereof ships had been miralty had suggested to the com- 



" built according to particular mittee the expediency of substi- 



" schemes and proportions, without tuting, instead of this class, ships 



" any standard or uniformity ; those of 74 guns on two decks and a 



' of the same late being often of half, a proposition decidedly re- 



" unequal dimensions, so that the jected by the committee. 



" stores and furniture of one A short period only had how- 



" would not suit another of the ever elapsed, before a very striking 



" same ehiss, — a matter of infi- instance was given, both of the 



" nite inconvenience in point of way in which innovations are pro- 



" service, as well as the occasion duced, and of the impossibility of 



" of extravagance in point of ex- resisting them ; for, on the Sd of 



" pense, &c. j" directed a com- February, 1747, the Hoard of Ad- 



mittee composed of all flag officers miralty acquainted his Majesty, 



Tinemployed, of the commissioners that, " the French ship Invincible, 



of the navy who were sea officers, " lately captured, was found to be 



under the presidency of Sir John " larger than his Majesty's ships 



Norris, admiral of the fleet, and "of 90 guns and 750 men j and 



assisted by all the master ship- " suggested that this ship, and all 



Wrights, to consider and propose " other prizes of the like class, and 



proper estal^lishmeiits of guns, " also his Majesty's ships of 90 



men, scantling of timbers, luusts, "guns, when leduced to two 



yards, stores, &c. for each rate " decks and a half, and 74 guns, 



and class of his Majesty's ships. " should be allowed a complement 



This committee made a very ela- "of 7OO men;" and, in 1748, 



borate report, and the whole was the Board represented to the King 



established by Order in Council in Council, tliat the ships built 



of his Majesty King George the according to the representations 



Second, on the 27th of March, of the committee had not answered 



1746. their expectations, and they there- 



By this establishment, the rates, fore prayed his Majesty's sanction 



armament^ and complements, of for dcpaiting, in new ships about 



to 



