National Gazette

BRITISH NAVY.

ALFRED is mentioned as the founder of the British navy, from his having opposed the incursions of the Danes on their favorite element with success, but the reign of Elizabeth, was the first period in which the English power became respectable at sea. In the reign of Henry VIII. that prince, in order to fit out a navy, Was obliged to hire ships from Hamburgh, Lubeck, Dantzic, Genoa, and Venice. Elizabeth, however, built some ships of war herself, and encouraged the merchants to construct larger trading vessels than were then used, which, on occasion, were easily converted into fighting ships. In 1588, on the alarm of the Spanish invasion, the Queen equipped a fleet and levied an army in a fortnight to oppose them. This sudden armament gave to foreigners an high idea of the resources of England at that period.

At Elizabeth's death, the number of ships of war amounted to forty-two. This appears a navy of some consequence, but, compared with the importance it has since attained, was very contemptible, especially when it is considered that none of the above vessels carried more than forty guns, and four only were of the number. There were but two of a thousand tons burthen, twenty-three below five hundred, some of fifty, and a few of not more than twenty tons, the whole number of guns belonging to the fleet being only seven hundred seventy-four. In 1512 the Seamen of England were computed at 14,295, the number of vessels 232, of which there were but 217 above eight tons.

In 1673 the British fleet consisted of 83 ships, beside thirty on the stocks. At the revolution the navy amounted to 173 vessels of different rates, and required 90,000 seamen to man it.