348 LETTERS OF A FRIEND TO THE NAVY. 



with him. He, in fact, wanted no greater force than would meet 

 the just views of Congress and the expectations of the public. 



The secretary of the navy, in his annual report of the third of 

 December last, makes the following statement to the president : 



" When, at the commencement of the last and preceding ses- 

 sions of Congress, it was recommended that a considerable addi- 

 tion should be made to the number of ships in commission to 

 meet the exigences of the rapidly-increasing commerce of our 

 country, it was perceived that, should the measure be adopted, as 

 it has been, by the liberal appropriations of Congress, it would be 

 necessary to adopt, at the same time, measures for increasing the 

 number of our seamen. The most obvious means of accomplish- 

 ing this object was the one recommended, of enlisting into the 

 service of our navy boys over the age of thirteen and under the 

 age of eighteen, until they shall arrive at the age of twenty-one 

 years. A bill for this purpose has been before the Senate for 

 the two last sessions, which, it is confidently hoped, will become 

 a law during the approaching session of Congress. In the mean 

 time, as a larger number of seamen is required for the merchant 

 service than usual, and as there is at present actually in the naval 

 service of the United States one fifth more seamen than were em- 

 ployed three years ago, and a greater number than has been em- 

 ployed at any time within the last fifteen years, some difficulty 

 must necessarily exist in recruiting seamen required for immedi- 

 ate service. 



" The terms of service of the seamen on the Pacific and Bra- 

 zilian stations are about to expire. Those on the Pacific station 

 have been ordered home, but will not probably arrive before the 

 middle of January next. In the mean time the North Carolina is 

 ordered to that station, requiring immediately a large number of 

 seamen, and Captain John B. Nicholson has been selected to sail 

 in the raze- Independence, to relieve the commander on the coast 

 of Brazil, who, when relieved, will return with the seamen belong- 

 ing to his station. The Independence will require a large num- 

 ber of seamen to complete her crew. Besides, it is important 

 that each of these ships should be attended by one or two smaller 

 vessels ; but this is impracticable in the present state of the ser- 

 vice. 



" It will easily be perceived, therefore, that the force wanted for 



