INTRODUCTION. 13 



and by looking the danger of a fcarcity boldly in 

 the face. 



" It is impoiTible to take a retrofpe&ive view 

 of the details already given, without expreffing 

 aftonifhment that the dangers pointed out mould 

 not have excited the moil anxious apprehenlions. 

 There is no reflecting perfon in the kingdom who 

 does not feel and acknowledge, that the exiftence 

 of every thing valuable to us as a nation, depends 

 upon maintaining our naval fuperiority ; and yet, 

 for more than forty years, we have remained in 

 a ftate of apparent infenfibility, although it has 

 been demonftrated that the article moft eflential 

 to the prefervation of our navy, has been gra- 

 dually diminifhing ; and the caufes of that dimi- 

 nution are of a nature not to afford the fmalleft 

 profped of a probable change, unlefs the moft 

 vigorous exertions are made to provide a fubfti- 

 tute for thofe refources on which we have hither- 

 to relied, and which we know are in a progrefs 

 of rapid decay, and of ultimate failure at no very 

 diftant period. 



" It would feem as if the fuccefllve Government 

 of this country had invariably become difheart- 

 ened, and had therefore abandoned all attempts ta 

 place this important branch of our naval re- 

 fources upon a permanent bafis, becaufe the 

 members of it could not hope to live to fee the 

 fuccefs of their own meafures ; But, if this courfe 



of 



