4 THE SEA. 



proportion of her sons and daughters, at home and abroad. Britain's part in the exploration 

 and settlement of the whole world has been so pre-eminent that there can be no wonder 

 if, among the English-speaking races everywhere, a peculiar fascination attaches to the 

 sea and all concerning it. Countless thousands of books have been devoted to the land, 

 not a tithe of the number to the ocean. Yet the subject is one of almost boundless interest, 

 and has a special importance at the present time, when so much intelligent attention and 

 humane effort is being put forth to ameliorate the condition of our seafarers. 



CHAPTER I. 



MEN-OF-WAR. 



Our Wooden Walls The Victory-Siege of Toulon Battle of St. Vincent Nelson's Bridge -Trafalgar's glorious Day 

 The Day for such Battles gone Iron v. Wood Lessons of the Crimean War Moral Effect of the Presence of our 

 Fleets Bombardment of Sebastopol Red-hot Shot and Gibraltar The Ironclad Movement The Warrior Expe- 

 riences with Ironclads The Merrimac in Hampton Roads A speedily decided Action The Cumberland sunk and 

 Congress burned The first Monitor Engagement with the Merrimac Notes on recent Actions The Shah and 

 HuascarAn Ironclad tackled by a Merchantman. 



the reader should at any time find himself a visitor to the first 

 naval port of Great Britain which he need not be told is Ports- 

 mouth he will find, lying placidly in the noble harbour, which is 

 large enough to accommodate a whole fleet, a vessel of modern- 

 antique appearance, and evidently very carefully preserved. Should 

 he happen to be there on October 21st, he would find the ship gaily 

 decorated with wreaths of evergreen and flags, her appearance 

 attracting to her side an unusual number of visitors in small boats 

 from the shore. Nor will he be surprised at this when he learns 

 that it is none other than the famous Victory, that carried 

 Nelson's flag on the sad but glorious day of Trafalgar, and went 

 bravely through so many a storm of war and weather. Very little 

 of the oft-shattered hulk of the original vessel remains, it is true she has 

 been so often renewed and patched and painted; yet the lines and form 

 of the old three-decker remain to show us what the flag-ship of Hood, and 

 Jervis, and Nelson was in general appearance. She towers grandly out of 

 the water, making the few sailors and loiterers on deck look like marionettes- 

 mere miniature men ; and as our wherry approaches the entrance-port, we 

 admire the really graceful lines of the planks, diminishing in perspective. The 

 triple battery of formidable guns, peeping from under the stout old ports which 

 overshadowed them, the enormous cables and spare anchors, and the immensely thick 

 masts, heavy shrouds and rigging, which she had in old times, must have given an 

 Impression of solidity in this good old "heart of oak" which is wanting even in 



