CHAPTER XLV.

OF THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.

THE American navy owed its birth to the depreda tions committed by Algerine corsairs on the commerce of the United States. Its first success was gained in 1805, in the bombardment of Tripoli.

By the peace establishment of 1801, the number of naval captains was reduced to nine; the rest were invited to retire from public service, with an allowance of four months' extra pay. The public vessels not employed were laid up in ordinary in convenient ports, and the president of the United States was authorized to sell those of which the repair would not be profitable. In the year 1800, there were forty-two vessels of every description, carrying 970 guns; the year following, the number was reduced to twenty, carrying in all 600 guns; in 1807, it was increased to ninety vessels.

In 1806 and 1807, a number of gun-boats was built and equipped for the protection of the coast and harbours. In 1809, the marine corps was formed, and privates were enlisted for the term of five years. In 1812, the subject of a naval system of defence was diseussed by congress; and, in consequence of the reso

lutions then adopted, all the frigates were equipped and put into actual service, and the gun-boats were distributed in the harbours of the maritime frontier. In 1814, laws were passed to construct, under the president's direction, four seventy-four gun ships, six forty-fours, a like number of sloops of war, and fifty barges, for the defence of the ports and harbours; and armed vessels for the service on the lakes. More than three millions of dollars were voted for this purpose, besides a hundred thousand for the construction of a dock-yard, or great naval establishment, on the right bank of the Hudson or North river, just above the high lands, which form a natural defence.

By another law, 500,000 dollars were appropriated for the construction of floating batteries, and 250,000 for the purchase of hulks to be sunk in different har bours for their better security.

The government, at this period, availed itself of the newly discovered invention of the steam-frigate, which will probably form an era in the history of warlike operations, as it may enable a nation, with small maritime resources, to resist the most powerful naval force. This immense battery, constructed under the direction of the late Mr Fulton, was launched at New York in the month of October 1814. It measures 145 feet on deck, with 55 feet in breadth of beam, and draws only eight feet water. The machinery by which it moves backward or forward is placed in the centre, and is so defended by a side of six feet in thickness, that it cannot be injured by the enemy's shot; while, by means of tubes which vomit forth volumes of boiling water, D d

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and sharp-edged instruments moving along its sides in contrary directions, the vessel bids defiance to the courage of the boldest boarders, and is considered by good judges as impregnable.

At the declaration of war against England in June 1812, the whole naval force consisted of seven frigates, a few sloops of war, and other smaller vessels. In May 1813, the American navy consisted of nine frigates, carrying from thirty-six to forty-four guns; three ships, one block-ship, four brigs, four schooners, one yacht, four hired schooners, two block-sloops, twelve barges, and 160 gun-boats, besides the vessels for the service on the lakes; on Lake Ontario, a ship, a brig, and ten schooners, a bomb and a twenty-four gun ship on the stocks; on Lake Erie, three sloops, four gun-boats, and two sloops of war building. The English squadron captured on Lake Erie was purchased by the government for the sum of 255,000 dollars, which was distributed as prize-money among the captors.

The American navy, in January 1815, consisted of twenty-eight ships of war, from ten to seventy-four guns, of which seven were captured from the enemy. The naval force on Lake Ontario consisted of nineteen vessels, from one to forty-four guns, of which two were captured from the English. On Lake Erie there were twelve vessels, from one to eighteen guns, five of which were captured in one engagement. On Lake Champlain there were ten vessels, from eight to twenty-four guns, four of which were also taken from the English. The whole number of barges and schooners 92; that of gun-boats 122.

On the 29th of April 1816, the American congress voted a million of dollars a-year, during eight years, for the construction of nine ships, not to carry less than seventy-four guns each; twelve not to carry less than forty-four each, including a seventy-four, and three forty-four gun ships, by the act of January 1813; together with three steam-batteries for the defence of the ports and harbours.

Expence of Naval Construction.-The original cost of the American frigates is from 70,000 to 220,000 dollars; the annual expence of each from 81,000 to 110,000 dollars; the expence of building a seventyfour gun ship is estimated at 333,000 dollars; that is, from forty-five to fifty dollars per ton for labour, and 225 when complete. The annual expence is estimated at 202,110 dollars; large frigates from forty to forty-five dollars per ton for labour, and 210 when completely equipped; the annual expence 110,000 dollars.

The frigate United States, of 1444 tons, built at Philadelphia, cost for labour 83,701 dollars; the Constitution, of equal size, built at Boston, cost 110,759 dollars; and the labour expences of the Constellation frigate, of 1145 tons, built at Baltimore, amounted to 112,774 dollars.

A plan of defence, by means of submarine explosion, was proposed by the late Mr Fulton, who published a description of the machine known by the name of torpedo, by which it was to be effected. The senate granted the sum of 5000 dollars to enable him to continue his experiments. His estimate for an estab