188 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



vide the facilities for repairing the different vessels at Mare 

 Island." 



Our ships in commission that is, in active duty are 

 divided into five squadrons. The Pacific, Asiatic, North At- 

 lantic, and European squadrons, are of nearly equal force ; 

 while the South Atlantic is of about half the force of either 

 of the others. The vessels are fitted up to cruise for a period 

 of three years. The men are enlisted for that time, and the 

 imperishable ammunition and stores are calculated to last for 

 that period ; and as it takes many months for a ship to reach a 

 distant station, if the cruises were shorter, most of the time 

 would be lost in the outward and home voyages. For many 

 years it was customary, on account of lack of supplies and 

 machinery, and the high price of labor at Mare Island, to 

 send the ships of the Pacific and Asiatic squadrons to Atlan- 

 tic navy yards, to be refitted at the end of every cruise, thus 

 consuming about one year out of three, in a long, uncomfort- 

 able, and useless voyage ; and most of the Asiatic ships still 

 make that costly trip. All the war ships of the country sta- 

 tioned in the Pacific hemisphere should be refitted at the Pa- 

 cific Navy Yard, in the opinion of Admiral Porter, and the 

 present Secretary of the Navy ; and when the Government 

 acts on that opinion, and puts our navy on an equality, as to 

 strength and efficiency, with that of Great Britain, there will 

 be steady work for years at Mare Island for 10,000 men ; 

 whereas the largest number employed heretofore has been 2,000, 

 and they were retained only a short time, the average being 

 from 500 to 1,000. 



The Woolwich, Cherbourg, and other navy yards of Great 

 Britain and France, have each more machinery and material 

 than all the American yards put together. The British yards 

 furnish employment to 20,000 artisans in ordinary times, and 

 twice as many in exceptionally busy seasons. The Cherbourg 

 Navy Yard has cost $80,000,000 for permanent improvements ; 

 and with the low wages paid in France, that sum represents 



