-structed with a quarterdeck and forecastle, we may consider the latter as almost necessary appendages to the former; at least we, may venture to designate a ship, so constructed, as the common (adding, if necessary, or quarter-decked) two, or three decker. No such adjunct, however, need be used, unless a flush two or three decker presents herself to notice. With respect to single-decked ships, commonly so called, the case is different. The flush ship is become a greater favourite than formerly ; and the navy-lists of all countries now contain whole classes so constructed. Precision would therefore require, that we should mark well the distinction between the quarter-decked, and the flush one-decker; and, at the risk of frequently clogging our meaning with obscurity, we should be compelled to make the attempt, were it not that some other terms have stepped in, and, by narrowing the discussion, saved both the reader and ourselves from any embarrassment on the subject.

We have already shown that the term ship, means any vessel that passes over the sea with sails. * But that is its general meaning: it has also a specific one, fully as well known. According to this, the term signifies a square-rigged vessel, of, at least, three masts. The square-rigged vessel of two masts is denominated a brig ; and the minor classes, that are not square-rigged, and which comprise sloops, cutters, schooners, &c., generally pass, among seafaring people at least, by the sweeping appellation of fore-and-aft vessels ; an expression used. in reference to the cut of their principal sails. Now, as the only quarter-decked brigs of war, that we know of, are a few belonging to the navy of Spain, † it may be taken for an axiom in naval affairs, that brigs of war, and all the small-craft below them, are flush-built: consequently, the latter term, when they are mentioned, need not be used, but becomes applicable to one-decked ship-rigged vessels only, and is even still more restricted„ as we shall presently show.

No sooner was any thing like system adopted in the conduct of engagements between fleets, than it became necessary that the line of battle should be composed of the larger and stronger ships, as being those the best able to bear the brunt of such encounters. The earliest list, in which a separation of this kind appears, is that of the British channel fleet, under Admiral Russel, in 1691. There the honourable distinction of line-of-battle ship descends to the fourth-rate inclusive, and, with one exception to be noticed hereafter, has so continued ever since. ‡ Exclusive of the ships destined to take their stations in the line of battle, there were attendant vessels, the duties of a portion of

* See p. 4.

† The Port-Mahon and Vincejo, each of 277 tons, were so constructed.

‡ The first published abstract of the navy, in which the "line-of-battle" classes are separated from the others, is one of the year 1714. See Derrick, p. 124.

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