82 AMERICAN MARINE. It may be inferred that I naturally directed my attention to every thing connected with the American marine, and circumstances eventually induced me to search much more minutely into particulars than at first I had intended to do. The present force of the American navy is rated as follows: Ships of the Line. NAVY LIST. Vessels of War of the United States Navy, September, 1837. ....1820 Ditto ditto. North Carolina .. 80 Philadelphia... 1820 In commission (Pa cific). 80 Gosport ..... 1820 At Norfolk (repaired.) 80 80 ... 80 80 Vermont On stocks at Ports -mouth, N. H. Ditto at Boston. Ditto ditto. On stocks, at Norfolk. 120 Philadelphia... 1837 At Philadelphia. Frigates, 1st Class. Independence Constitution .... .... 54 Boston. 1814 On the coast of Brazil. 44 Philadelphia ... 1797 In commission (Medi .... 44 Boston terranean.) 1787 Ditto ditto. 44 Philadelphia... 1814 In ordinary, Norfolk. .... 1825 Ditto. ditto. 1826 Receiving vessel at New York. 44 Washington... 1836 In ordinary, Norfolk. St. Lawrence.... Frigates, 2d Class. Constellation,... 36 Baltimore 1797 In commission (W. I.) Navy List-(continued.) Name and Rate. When and where built Where employed. GUNS. Macedonian 36 Norfolk (rebuilt) 1836 Ready for sea at Nor. .... Sloops of War. 20 Norfolk (rebuilt) 1820 Ready for sea at N. Y. 20 Boston (rebuilding).. Boston Lexington Vincennes. 20 New York .... 20 Philadelphia 20 Washington 1828 .. 20 Portsmouth. 1828 Ditto 18 N. York (rebuilt) 1820 At Boston. 18 New York.... 1813 In ordinary, Norfolk. 10 Philadelphia .. 1821 On the coast of Brazil. 10 Washington .. 1821 In commission (West Sea Gull (galliot) Philadelphia. New York (nearly ready for sea.) Purchased. 1837 The rating of these vessels will, however, very much mislead people as to the real strength of the armament. The 74's and 80's are in weight of broadside equal to most three-decked ships; the first-classed frigates are double-banked of the scantling, and carrying the complement of men of our 74's. The sloops are equally powerful in proportion to their ratings, most of them carrying long guns. Although flush vessels, they are little inferior to a 36-gun frigate in scantling, and are much too powerful for any that we have in our service, under the same denomination of rating. All the line-of-battle ships are named after the several States, the frigates after the principal rivers, and the sloops of war after the towns, or cities, and the names are decided by lot. It is impossible not to be struck with the beautiful architecture in most of these vessels. The Pennsylvania, rated 120 guns, on four decks, carrying 140, is not by any means so perfect as some of the line-of-battle ships.* The Ohio is as far as I am a judge, the perfection of a ship of * The following are the dimensions given me of the ship of the line Pennsylvania :— In extreme length over all.... feet. inches. 237 Extreme depth amidships.. Burthen 3366 tons, and has ports for 140 guns, all long thirty two pounders, throwing 2240 pounds of ball at each broadside, or 4480 pounds from the whole. Her mainmast from the step to the truck. Main-yard.. 278 110 Main-topsail yard... Main-top-gallant yard. Main-royal yard... Size of lower shrouds. Do. of Mainstay Do. of sheet-cable.. 82 52 36 0 11 0 19 0 25 The sheet anchor, made at Washington, weighs 11,660 pounds, the line. But in every class you cannot but admire the superiority of the models and workmanship. The dockyards in America are small, and not equal at present to what may eventually be required, but they have land to add to them if necessary. There certainly is no necessity for such establishments or such storehouses as we have, as their timber and hemp are at hand when required; but they are very deficient both in dry and wet docks. Properly speaking, they have no great naval depôt. This arises from the jealous feeling existing between the several States. A bill brought into Congress to expend so many thousand dollars upon the dock-yard at Boston, in Massachusetts, would be immediately opposed by the State of New York, and an amendment proposed to transfer the works intended to their dock-yard at Brooklyn. The other States which possess dock-yards would also assert their right, and thus they will all fight for their respective esta Main-topsail contains 1,531 yards. The number of yards of canvass for one suit of sails is 18,341, and for bags, hammocks, boat-sails, awnings, &c., 14,624;-total 32,965 yards. The Americans considered that in the Pennsylvania they possessed the largest vessel in the world, but this is a great mistake; one of the Sultan's three-deckers is larger. Below are the dimensions of the Queen, lately launched at Portsmouth ; |