Notice of Sketches of Naval Life. 327 
reflection is intended upon those able and patriotic men, who, 
in the earlier periods of our navy, rose from obscure situ- 
ations, or from common. pursuits, to usefulness, rank and 
hownes but, the state of things is now changed, and, till a 
regular school for the navy, under the direction of the gov- 
ernment, shall supply the means, the goments of science 
ought to be sought by naval men, in the seminaries of our 
country, and from highly qualified sidecalusts Natural 
Philosophy, Astronomy and Chemistry are fruitful in rm 
and principles with which the naval c 
daily conversant, and there can be no ious, that an ac- 
quaintance with them must be of great advantage in the 
practice of the profession, and in giving success to efforts 
to advance its interests. The British navy is adorned b 
sone men of this character, and Capt. Basil Hall, eiaiice 
to be meritioned among the most conspicuous of the em, both 
for his real merits in this way, and for the eclat which he has 
imparted to the naval character 
naval men are acquainted with the outlines of the most 
important branches of natural history, they will enjoy many 
opportunities of making interesting and useful observations, 
and of selecting specimens of value; this portion of science 
although highly ornamental, is however, no ay part of 
naval Byes ot like the important sciences first named. 
author’s twenty second letter in which he Ai an 
aoeeene tof grog serving and its effects, is eeserT Og of an at- 
tentive perusal, and were it proper to occupy our pages, to 
such an extent with this topic, (which is however, physical as 
well as moral,) we would copy the whole lette 
No one can read Mr. Jones’s pathetic and eset t appeal 
on this subject, fraught as it is with every just sentiment, with- 
out regretting, that the respectable author has conceded, 
however reluctantly, that “to banish grog from our ships of 
War would be a fatal experiment.” The difficulty is no doubt 
great, but is it insuperable ; this cannot be known until it is 
tried, and has the experiment been made in the navy of this 
or of any country? If so, the report of it has never come to 
our ears. It has been completely successful on board of a 
considerable number of merchant ships, and one, as we are 
assured, has just sailed from New York for China, with no ar- 
dent spirits on board, no not even in the medicine chest! 
But how ! will not the crew mutiny ? for they were not con- 
sulted. This will be known in due time; but the better pro- 
