484 



THE BRITISH ISLES. 



pains are spared to keep at the head of all maritime powers. The English fleet 

 of ironclads, headed by the Ltjle.vihlc, a vessel of 11,40G tons displacement, with 

 engines of 8,000 horse-power, plated armour between 16 and 24 inches in thickness, 

 and four 81 -ton guns, is superior in strength to the combined ironclad fleets of 

 any two of the other powers, and looking to the resources which England 

 commands with respect to everything relating to the construction, repair, and 

 maintenance of modern men-of-war, it will be easy for her to maintain her 

 pre-eminence.* The navy is manned by 45,800 sailors and 13,000 marines, in 

 addition to whom there exists a naval reserve of 20,000 men. 



But however farraidablc the military and naval forces may appear, Great 

 Britain is still more powerful from a financial point of view, and in this respect 

 occupies quite a privileged position amongst the states of Europe. The national 

 debt is no doubt greater than that of any other country, with the exception of that 

 of France ; but since the termination of the great wars at the beginning of the 

 century it has been reduced to the extent of £70,000,000, and looking to the large 

 increase in the productive forces of the nation, its burden is felt much less now 

 than was the case half a century ago. This decrease of the debt is all the more 

 remarkable as £20,000,000 were expended to release the slaves in the British 

 colonies, and £10,000,000 for the relief of the Irish famine in 1847. The annual 



* The British Xavy October, 18S0 (including vessels under construction) : — 



Ironclads. 



Turret ships, 1st clas8 

 „ others . 



Broadside vessels 

 Barbette slip {CoUhiffwood) 

 Torpedo ram (Polyphemus) 

 Cor^'cttes ..... 

 Gunboats ..... 

 Floating batteries 

 Condemned ironclads employed \ 

 in harbour service . . I 

 Total .... 



13 



191 



69 



r4ô 



64,541 

 437,222 



33 



298 



153 

 .29? 



Screw Steamers. 



Ships .... 



Frigates . 



Cor\-ettes . 



Sloops .... 



Gun vessels 



Gunboats 



Steam cruisers 



Steel dispatch boats 



Torpedo vessels 



Surveying vessels 



Troop and store vessels 



Harbuur service (tugs, &c.) 



Sailing Vessels. 



Drill, training, and gunnery ships 

 Stationary, receiving, and depot 

 Brigs .... 

 Sloops .... 

 Schooners 



Coastguard cruisers . 

 Harbour service 



Total 



2 

 17 

 13 



"274 



35 

 2 



Paudle Steamers. 



Dispatch boats . 



Yachts 



Sloops 



Coastguard cruisers . 



Other vessels . 



Tugs, &c. in harbour service 



Total 



Number. 

 4 

 5 

 5 

 4 

 13 

 22 



"53 



2,0(t7 



Guns. 

 8 

 5 



25 

 4 



27 



69 



Total 



Armour-clads . 

 Screw steamers 

 Paddle steamers 

 Sailing vessels . 



Total 



Summary. 



Number. 



18 



12 



5 



2 



6 



22 



119 



m 



Number 



69 

 274 



53 

 184 



580 



Guns. 

 248 

 76 

 42 

 12 

 6 

 22 



406 



Guns. 



745 



2,007 



69 



406 



3.227 



And in addition a numerous torpedo flotilla. The 

 most powerftil shijjs of the Britieh navy are the 

 Inflexible, Dreadnou(jht, Derastatio», Thunderer, 

 Majestic, Colossus, lîeptune, Collingwood, Agamemnon, 

 and Ajax. 



