NAVY. 



161 



Commerce de Marseilles, and the Santissima Triiiidtul, 

 may almost be looked upon as magnificent monsters. 

 The ship carrying one hundred guns, on three uni- 

 form decks, may be considered as the best adapted 

 to unite formidableness and efficiency. 



When tins increase of size took place, the oar 

 ceased to be a fit agent to move so weighty a 

 machine, and it only remained, by the adaptation of 

 sails, to make the most of that which nature has 

 placed at our disposal, in the restless and ever- 

 moving element which surrounds us. Galleys have 

 been long discontinued on the ocean, and are now 

 only used in the Mediterranean, where immemorial 

 usage renders every thing hereditary. With this 

 revolution in the manner of propelling vessels of 

 war, an equal one was introduced in the method of 

 fighting. Their augmented size rendered it more 

 inconvenient to grapple and fight hand to hand, and 

 risked the destruction of both ships, if the weather 

 were tempestuous. Hence this mode of combat was 

 rarely resorted to ; and battering with cannon, at a 

 favourable distance, until one party or the other 

 struck, became the ordinary mode of naval warfare. 

 This we shall now exemplify, by briefly describing 

 the present mode of engagement, and relating a few 

 instances of modern naval battles between single 

 ships and fleets. 



When two adverse ships come in sight of each 

 other upon the ocean, accident decides, usually, which 

 is to windward. To be to windward, or to the side 

 from which the wind comes, is always esteemed an 

 advantage. If the weather ship be of inferior force, 

 it enables her to keep out of action much longer, and. 

 though a poorer sailer, she may do so until the inter 

 vention of night increases the chances of escape. If, 

 however, the weather ship be of superior force, she 

 is enabled to bear at once down, and direct her head 

 upon the enemy, and, having the advantage in sail- 

 ing, must soon be alongside of her. We will, how- 

 ever, suppose a case in which two equal ships meet, 

 and are mutually anxious to engage. Then, also, 

 the weather-gage is an advantage, for the ship to 

 lee-ward, careening to the breeze, exposes her side 

 below wind and water, and, if struck there, and 

 afterwards forced to tack and change her careen, or 

 if merely brought upright, the shot-holes thus made 

 are thrown out of the reach of repairs from without, 

 and may cause her sinking. The ship to windward, 

 on the contrary, has her lee-side exposed to the attack, 

 and the ordinary water-line depressed below the sur- 

 face, in proportion to the strength of the breeze. In 

 this situation, if she receives dangerous shot-holes at 

 the water's edge, by changing her tack, she may 

 bring them above the surface, so as to stop the leaks. 

 Being to windward, moreover, confers. tlie advantage 

 of heaving up at pleasure to cross an enemy's bow, 

 or stern, for the purpose of a raking fire. 



Assuming the advantage of the weather-gage, let 

 us prepare for action. Topsails, top-gallant-sails, 

 jib, and spanker, with the courses hauled up, ready 

 to be set again, are good sails to fight under, for 

 with tin-in your ship is under perfect command to 

 advance, manoeuvre, or lie to. If there is an ap- 

 pearance of squally weather, it is well to have a reef 

 in the topsails, in anticipation. The crew are called 

 to quarters by beat of drum, every man going to the 

 station which has been rendered familiar to him by 

 frequent training, under the eye of his officers. The 

 commander, standing in a conspicuous station on the 

 quarter-deck, watches his own ship and the enemy, 

 and conveys the order that the occasion may require 

 by voice, or through the medium of his aids. Under 

 him, the first lieutenant commands the offensive and 

 defensive operations, and effects the various evolu- 

 tions which he may direct, in relation to the position 

 v. 



of the ship. The clues are stoppered, to keep the 

 sails spread in the event of the sheets being shot 

 away, and the yards are hung in chains, to obviate a 

 like inconvenience from the cutting of the ties. The 

 carpenter rigs the pumps to prepare for a leak, col- 

 lects his shot- plugs to stop holes in the side, and 

 fishes of wood to strengthen a mast, or yard, that 

 may be wounded, and in danger of falling. The 

 surgeon prepares, in the cockpit, to relieve the 

 wounded. Tubs of water are collected in the tops, 

 channels, and on deck, to be ready to extinguish 

 fire; the decks are wet, to prevent the explosion of 

 powder, and put out sparks that may fall there, and 

 also sanded to prevent the men from slipping when 

 splashy with blood or water. Finally, plenty of 

 wads and shot, round, grape, and canister, are col- 

 lected beside the guns, and the magazine is opened 

 and lit by the gunner and his crew, who prepare to 

 pass the cartridges to the powder-boys. 



And now, having given three cheers, you bear 

 down upon the enemy. It is a great object, in bat- 

 tering from ship to ship, to rake your enemy, if 

 possible ; that is, to get across his bow, or stern, out 

 of reach of his guns, whilst yours sweep the whole 

 length of his deck, with fatal execution. If it is 

 desirable to rake your enemy, it is equally so to avoid 

 being raked in return. This double advantage can 

 only be attained by superior sailing, or by great skill 

 in manoeuvring. In directing your lire, it is best to 

 aim between wind and water, and also in the direc- 

 tion of the masts, for in this way the enemy may be 

 soonest disabled, and a victory gained with the least 

 destruction of life. If, on the contrary, your own 

 spars be so disabled that the enemy, having the worst 

 in other respects, might yet effect his escape, from 

 your inability to make sail in pursuit ; or even in the 

 more desperate case of your being every way worsted, 

 you may yet profit of your situation to bear down 

 and board, as the last alternative. In the cast of 

 this last chance, a hopeless cause may sometimes bii 

 restored ; for, in boarding, headlong valour, oftener 

 than numbers, decides the struggle. When the 

 enemy signifies that he yields, by hauling down his 

 colours, a prize-master and crew are detailed ; the 

 prisoners are removed and chained, and as much 

 exertion is made in repairing damages as was before 

 exercised in effecting them. 



Of all the naval battles, in ancient or modern 

 times, none has ever been more obstinately contested 

 than that which took place, during the American 

 revolution, between the Bon Homme Richard, as she 

 was called (after doctor Franklin's Poor Richard), 

 and the British frigate Serapis. The first was com- 

 manded by commodore Paul Jones, the last by com- 

 modore Pearson, a very distinguished officer. The 

 Richard carried fifty-six guns, and 380 men ; the 

 Serapis fifty-nine guns, and 320 men. The former 

 was old and decayed, with a motley battery, throw- 

 ing only 282 pounds at the single broadside, and 

 twenty of her best men, with the second lieutenant, 

 were absent during the whole action. The Serapis, 

 on the contrary, was a new ship, of approved con- 

 struction, considered the fastest sailer in the British 

 navy ; and, besides her superiority in number of 

 guns, they were of heavy calibre, throwing 340 

 pounds at a single broadside. Jones, having borne 

 down to cut off the Baltic fleet from the harbour of 

 Scarborough, the Serapis and her consort stood out, 

 to divert the attention of the American ships, and 

 give the convoy time to escape. In this way the 

 battle began. One of Jones's consorts engaged the 

 consort of the Serapis ; the other took no part in the 

 action till towards its close, when it fired, with equal 

 injury upon both. No guns were fired from either 

 ship until they approached within pistol shot, when 



