"First, Respecting furniture and stores appropriated, and laid apart for ships in ordinary.

"The former directions on this subject having been found too general, and the provisions of stores and furniture too limited, to answer effectually the intended purpose, the board now laid down the most particular rules about the articles that were from time to time to be set apart for the respective classes and descriptions of ships, in order that each individual ship, by the time she should be built, or put into good condition, might in future have a large proportion of the material parts of her furniture and stores in readiness, and distinctly laid apart for her, so that the remainder might not require more time to provide, than the necessary time for her equipment would admit of, however short that time might be. Dispatch in issuing the furniture and stores, and also correctness, must, of necessity, have resulted from this improved plan, in addition to the other great advantages.

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Secondly, The second regulation above alluded to, was that of an establishment of stores, of a great variety of species, for the general magazines at each of the dock-yards; and also at the several other naval stations, both at home and abroad."

This was truly an original and great plan (it originated entirely with Sir O. Middleton, now Lord Barham), no idea of the kind having probably been ever entertained at any former period. It was suggested, no doubt, in some measure, by the difficulties the board had experienced in procuring certain

articles, and the high prices paid for others, during the war; but the same must have been the case, in a greater or less degree, in most of the preceding wars. These evils, it was therefore highly necessary to guard against, as far as might be practicable and consistent with sound economy, before another war should take place.

In conformity to which plan, the said establishment consists of specific quantities of all the principal, and many inferior, articles of naval stores which are not of a perishable nature, and of those which cannot be readily obtained in a time of emergency, are calculated to last for a considerable period, even in time of war; and they are kept up by means of the annual, or occasional contracts. The almost necessary result of this plan, has been the preventing of unnecessary, or improper accumulations of any stores in the magazines, for so long a time as to occasion their receiving injury by lying too long in them, which is a matter of great consequence in such extensive concerns. Many other lasting good effects have also been produced by the measure in question, which it is not necessary here to notice; neither could some of them be explained so as to be generally comprehended.

Some other important regulations were afterwards adopted, having the same object, to accelerate the equipment of fleets at the beginning of a war. In consequence of these wise precautions, at the end of December 1792, when we were compelled to go to

war with France, there were naval stores in hand at the different dock-yards, to the amount of 1,812,9827.; and, so rapid was the equipment of ships, "that, at the end of nine months, there was sixty sail of the line in commission, as ships of war; and seventy-four of 50 guns and under, exclusive of sloops and small vessels, more than at the beginning of that period; a degree of dispatch almost astonishing, as nothing to be compared with it had been done in any former war." When the peace of Amiens was signed on the 1st of October, 1801, the state of the Navy was as follows:---Of the line, and down to 54-gun ships inclusive, 144; 50 and 44-gun ships. and frigates, 242; and sloops, armed vessels, &c. 317. Total 703.

"From the foregoing abstract, it appears, that the number of ships and vessels at the conclusion of the war in October, 1801, exceeded the number at the close of the war in 1783, by ships of the line, 6; ships under the line, sloops and other vessels,. 241. More, in the whole, 247."

During the last war we took and destroyed, of the enemies' ships, 86 of the line; 3 fifties; 206 frigates; and 275 sloops and small vessels; making a total of 570. The value of the different stores in the dock-yards on the 1st of January, 1802, was 2,610,9087. On the 1st of January, 1805, the Royal Navy consisted of 175 ships of the line; 24 from 50 to 60 guns each; and 750 frigates, sloops, and other armed vessels---Total 949. A force, in

possession of which, with proper management, we may bid defiance to the world in arms *.

At the time we are writing this article, we have before us the following piece of intelligence. About 110 men, belonging to this blockaded country, headed by a few officers, landed a few days since on the French coast near Bourdeaux, captured one of the enemy's forts, spiked their guns, blew up the powder, and then calmly returned to their ship.

*A fact is mentioned by the author of the above article, which we had heard before, but the truth of which had been doubted, namely, That in an action with Lord Howe, at the be ginning of last war, and that of Trafalgar, the French used red hot balls. We do not profess to be very conversant with the laws and customs of warfare, but we should think, that a determination to sink every ship that fired red hot shot, would not only be wise but humane.

The author has taken no notice of the reforms introduced by Lord St. Vincent, while he presided at the head of the Admiralty, though they certainly came within the immediate purpose of his work. But prudential motives, probably, and a knowledge of his Lordship's disposition, occasioned the omission; and to say the truth, he must bc a rash man, who, after what we have lately witnessed, ventures to meddle with this naval noli me tangere. These reforms, however, were so important in their effects, that they deterred that excellent nobleman, Earl Spencer, who had governed the naval department with so much honour to himself, and with so much advantage to his country, from resuming his seat at the Admiralty,

CRITICISM ON SOME ABSURDITIES OF MODERN SCULPTORS,

IN THEIR PERFORMANCES, ORIGINATING FROM A VISIT

TO WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

THE master of the family turned to Edward, and asked him how he had been pleased that morning with Westminster Abbey? Doubtless to any other question the young soldier would have returned a plain and simple answer, but his mind being still full of of enthusiasm on that subject, he replied, that he had been delighted, and never in his life before had experienced such feelings. The warmth with which this was delivered, greatly interested the company in his behalf, and as it afforded a new topic of conversation, the abbey with its aisles and towers, the chapel with its curious roof, the tombs of our kings, and the monuments of our best men, soon became the subject of praise and criticism. The conversation grew doubly interesting; for how could men of literature and genius talk of such themes, without awakening a thousand recollections of patriotic and immortal bards? By degrees, however, this enthusiasm subsided, and the taste and execution of these monuments were discussed: some praised the sculpture of this figure, and some of that; but amidst all the remarks made, it was observed that neither Charles nor Edward spoke a word on the subject. "I suppose," said the host to Charles," you have no statues in your village churches, and that consequently you have little knowledge of sculpture?" "I must indeed be very ignorant on