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Naval History of Great Britain - Vol I
1794 British and French Fleets 142

brass carronades since established, are fully particularized in the small table given at a preceding page.

The French fleet, it will be remembered, consisted, on the morning of the 28th, of one 120, three 110, four 80, and eighteen 74 gun ships. * The two newest of the 80s, the Indomptable and Sans-Pareil, were armed precisely as the 80 in the table at p. 54 : the other two appear to have mounted 8s instead of 12s on the quarterdeck and forecastle. The following, then, appear to have been the carriage long guns and carronades mounted on each side:

BRITISH. FRENCH.
Long guns.   No. No. Long guns. No. No.
32 pounders 706   36 pounders 746  
24 pounders 180   24 pounders 258  

18

pounders

660

 

18

pounders

540

 

12

pounders

244

 

12

pounders

166

 
9 pounders 320   8 pounders 392  
    -- 2110       2102
Carronades.       Carronades.      
68 pounders 4   36 pounders brass   112
18 pounders 60          
      64        
  Total 2174     Total 2214

In stating the complements of the French ships, we shall, with a certainty of not overrating them, follow the establishment of 1786, or that expressed in the table, at p. 54. The fact is, nearly all French ships carried a greater number of men than that regulation permits ; and it is this assumed overplus that constitutes the allowance to which we referred.

The size of the French ships is a matter of minor importance compared with the guns and crews ; but, even here, the number of French ships of all classes, which the British have captured, enables us to adopt an average that cannot be materially wrong. For instance; 2600 tons for the 120 ; 2350, for each of the 110s; 2220, for each of the 80s; and 1860, for each of the 74s. Having, in order to show in what manner our statements are grounded, premised these particulars, we present the following as the:

COMPARATIVE FORCE OF THE TWO FLEETS,
ON THE MORNING OF MAY 28
    BRITISH. FRENCH.
Ships No. 26 26
Broadside-guns No. 1087 1107
  lbs. 22,976 28,126
Crews Agg. No. 17,241 19,989
Size Agg. tons 46,962 52,010

On the morning of May 28, consequently, there was not much to deter the French admiral from engaging, unless he saw, with

* See pp. 127, 128.

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