The Mighty Deep 



The Merchant fleet of Italy was taken as 

 slightly over One. Then, in proportion, the 

 French fleet was represented by something over 

 Two ; the Norwegian, by the same ; the United 

 States, by Three ; the German, by something 

 over Three ; and the British, by something over 

 Twenty-two! This included the whole tonnage 

 or carrying power of the fleets in question, both 

 sailing and steam-driven vessels. 



The figures speak for themselves. 



Or, again, let us take all the steam fleets of 

 the world, reckoning only vessels over one 

 hundred tons, and only those used for mer- 

 chandise ; not Men-of-War. 



These steam-fleets shall be pictured in our 

 minds or on paper by broad black lines, one-tenth 

 of an inch wide. Now let us see how long such 

 lines would have to be, at two different dates, for 

 a few of the leading fleets. 



In the year 1889 they would have been given 

 thus : — 



Japanese. — Less than one -tenth of an inch 

 long. 



American. — Three and a half tenths of an 

 inch long. 



French. — Four and a half tenths of an inch 



long. 



272 



