142     BRITISH AND AMERICAN NAVIES     1812

284 to 300 men and boys ; but on the 24th of June, 1806, the order was rescinded, and the 38s were again established with 284, and the 18-pounder 36s with 274, men and boys. Subsequently, by special orders, most of the large 38s obtained a complement of 300 ; and the order of January, 1813, gave to the whole class 320, including five additional marines ; also to the 18-pounder 36s 284, and to the 18-pounder 32s 270, men and boys. The 24-pounder 40-gun class, including the new ships building, were also increased from 340 to 350 men and boys ; and the 18-gun quarterdecked ship-sloops, from 121 to 135. Still, the boys were in far too great a proportion in all the classes. In action they are of no use, because of their physical incompetency ; and out of action their services are not required, on account of the number of abler hands ready to do the work. Boys would, doubtless, learn more of practical navigation, and become, in the end, better seamen, by passing their teens in a merchant vessel ; for this plain reason, that, instead of spending their time in comparative idleness, they would be employed in assisting the few hands on board to perform the duties of the ship.

A glance at the " Increase" compartment of this and the preceding year's Abstract will show, at once, what a stir the recent successes of the Americans were making in the English dockyards. In our view of the case, nearly the whole of that stir, with the heavy expense consequent upon it, was unnecessary. Paradoxical as it may seem, we boldly make the assertion, that the way to strengthen the British navy was to break up, not to build, ships. The materiel and personnel were more than ever out of their due proportions. The mode, that should have been adopted, was to break up, lay up, or, at all events, to disarm and put out of commission, 40 or 50 ships; and, after sweeping from the service and lodging in the hospitals or elsewhere, the old, the infirm, and the ineffective, to put on board the remaining ships adequate crews of able-bodied, stout-hearted British seamen. Let these be practised at the guns, and well officered ; and then let it be seen what enemy's ship, with a fifth of numerical superiority, could stand against them. Those, however, who possessed the power to direct these matters, acted as if they thought, that an increase of wood and iron would effect more than an increase of flesh and blood ; and now let us see whether, proceeding upon that notion, they went the right way to " fashion the means to the end."

But first we will endeavour to show, that the plan of disarming a great many of the higher rates might have been carried into effect, without detriment to the general service of the navy. For this a few facts will suffice. The disaffected and ill manned state of the French fleet in the Scheldt would have admitted of less than half the number of ships that blockaded Flushing, and the almost equally ill manned, though perhaps not disloyal,

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