" Down to the Sea in Ships " 



Again, the same development is seen in Men- 

 of-War. 



Up to the year 1860, twelve or thirteen knots 

 for the best speed of a battleship was regarded 

 as eminently satisfactory. By 1870 this had 

 risen to nearly fifteen knots. There for many 

 years it stood still; but since 1880 the outside 

 speed of battleships has arrived at nineteen 

 knots. 



Fast Cruisers have exceeded the Battleships. 

 Up to 1870 they had reached nearly nineteen 

 knots ; and since 1880 they have risen to twenty- 

 three knots. These, again, have been excelled 

 by Torpedo Destroyers, which can go at the 

 rate of twenty-six or twenty-seven knots. 



Together with increase of speed has come 

 growth in size. A modern fast Cruiser has often 

 from ten to fourteen thousand tons displacement ; 

 a modern Battleship from thirteen to fifteen 

 thousand tons. 



But the popular notion, that Men-of-War ex- 

 ceed in size and weight all Passenger and 

 Merchant vessels, is a delusion. It arises from 

 a difference in the mode of measurement. 



The " tonnage " of a Man-of-War refers to 

 its actual and literal weight. The " tonnage " 

 of a merchant-ship refers to its space for goods 



269 



