THE WORLD'S WARSHIPS. 
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witli a high protecting shield in the bow for a 24 cra 16-ton gun, and a 
9 cm gun projecting over the stern. 
In appearance the upper deck is flush, with wings at the tower for a 
breakwater. There are two masts, with an extremely high, thin fun¬ 
nel well to the stern, though forward of the mainmast. 
This completes the French armoured fleet. I again append a list:— 
THIRD PERIOD. 
Line-of-Battleships.—First Class. 
1st Group. —Hoche, Neptune,* Marceau, and Magenta.* 
2nd Group. —Brennus* and Charles Martel.* 
3rd Group. —Jaureguibery* and Lazare Carnot. 
Second Class. 
Terrible, Indomptable, Requin, and Caiman. 
Armoured Cruisers. 
Dupuy-de-Lome,* Bruix,* Chanzy,* Charner,* and Latouclie Treville.* 
Coast Defenders. 
1st Group. —Trehouart,* Bouvines,* Jemmapes,* and Valmy.* 
Gunboats. 
Acheron,^ Cocyte, Phlegeton,* Styx,* Elamme, Fusee, Mitraille, and 
Grenade. 
N.B.—Those marked with an asterisk are only building, d means con¬ 
demned for further service. 
PROTECTED CRUISERS. 
It was the American War of 1863 that gave rise to the class now 
termed armoured cruisers. These we have already considered, the 
dividing line between them and the protected cruisers is, however, 
slight; generally ships provided with only horizontal armour are 
classed with the latter. 
It is clear that these ships are not intended to engage forts, and will, 
therefore, only be very casually touched upon. 
It is to the exertions of Admiral Aube and the late Mons. Gabriel 
Charmes, that the French largely owe their fleet of protected cruisers. 
The policy they so strenuously urged may be summed up in their own 
words, “ Mercilessly attack the weak, without shame fly before the 
strong." Accordingly a large number of these ships were laid down ; 
in fact, all we have here to notice date from this period, with the excep¬ 
tion of three new ships about to be built and one laid down before, 
viz., the Sfax. 
This vessel, commenced in 1882, had her first trials in 1887. She is 
289 feet long, 49 feet beam, 4488 tons displacement. She is built of 
steel frames and iron plates, with a protective deck of steel 2-36 
inches thick. She carries six 16 cm 5-ton guns on her upper deck, two 
