Steam in the Navy 93 



these we know how to manage, but with 

 the new-fangled agent we might easily be 

 defeated through not knowing enough 

 about it." 



Right up to the time of the Crimean 

 War (1854-1855) the sailing ship remained 

 the main line of England's defence. True, 

 many of the sailing vessels had steam 

 engines aboard, but steam was considered 

 merely an auxiliary. 



When a boy I used to visit an old grand- 

 father who lived not very far from the 

 sea, and who, though not a seafaring man 

 himself, had many close connections with 

 the Navy. He had a very fine collection 

 of steel engravings of naval vessels of the 

 'fifties and 'sixties. Their description was 

 given underneath, "and I remember quite 

 well how many of them ran. Thus, " Her 

 Britannic Majesty's Steam Corvette 

 Cygnet " ; the next would be the 

 " Auxiliary Steam Sloop Daphne ". 

 (These were not the actual names of 

 the vessels.) 



