doubtful; chiefly because, in many important points, in the ports and guns especially, it is at complete variance with the letter-press.

It is probable that, about the middle of the seventeenth century, the practice of placing guns of a dissimilar caliber on the same deck ceased to prevail in the British navy.* This was a decided improvement. For a variety of calibers occasions delay and confusion in handing up and fitting the shot; especially where, as was the case here, the differently-sized balls were to be used on one deck. About coeval with this improvement, was the removal of the greater part of that cumbrous pile of timber and iron-work, raised to so ridiculous a height at each extremity of the vessel. The ship found relief, also, in being no longer armed with "murdering," or in-board pieces ; and, particularly, in having no standing bow and stern chasers, a portion of which were generally among the heaviest guns on board. Hence, from this time, an English ship of war could bring half the number of her guns into broadside action; an advantage which she had never before possessed.

The earliest list of the British navy, in which there is any classification of the ships, is probably that copied into Mr. Derrick's Appendix, (p. 303,) and bearing date in 1546. There King Henry's vessels, 58 in number, are classed, according to their "quality," thus:- "Shyppes;" "galleases;" "pynnaces;" "roo-baerges." Another list, bearing date in 1612, exhibits the classes following: "Shipps royal," measuring from 1200 to 800 tons; "middling shipps," from 800 to 600 tons; "small shipps," 350 tons; and "pinnaces," from 250 to 80 tons. † It will tend to clearness in our future inquiries, if we at once give an explanation of some of these terms.

A ship is defined to be "a large hollow building, made to pass over the sea with sails," without reference to the quantity, shape, or position of those sails ; and, in this extended sense, the term appears to have been originally used. Hence, we are told that, before the days of the Great-Harry, all the ships of the royal navy had but one mast and one sail. ‡ That ship is alleged to have had three masts, § and the Henri-Grace-à-Dieu, as already mentioned, four || The galleas was probably a long, low, and sharp-built vessel, propelled by oars, as well as sails; the latter, perhaps, not fixed to the mast or any standing yard, but hoisted from the deck when required to be used. The lugger, or felucca, of modern days may serve for an example. The pinnace was a lesser description of galleas, and, most probably, had no mast, or, if any, a moveable one. The "roo-baerge," or row-barge, explains itself.

* In the French, and some other navies, vessels so armed were occasionally captured during the eighteenth century.

† Charnock, vol. ii., p: 247.

‡ Archæologia, vol. vi., p. 202.

§ Archæologia, vol. iii., p. 266.

|| See p. 2.

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