sented as iron-clad screws, and 8 others were building. Of the ironclads afloat 16 were of wood and II of iron. But on the 8th February, 1864 (Parliamentary Return, 67), the total number was 630; there being at that date 506 steamers and 86 sailing vessels afloat and 38 building; 90 ships, therefore, had been sold or broken up since last year, or otherwise disposed of. On the 15th February, 1862, by Return 45, there were 465 screws, 115 paddle, and 110 sailing vessels, total 690; so that between 1862 and 1865 there has been a diminution of 150 vessels. TABLE I.—Return showing the Number of Steam Ships Afloat and Building together with the Number of Effective Sailing Ships, on the 1st February, 1865. With respect to the iron-plated ships built and building, a Parliamentary Return obtained by Mr. Laird, and dated 14th June, 1865, No. 367, showed 26 iron-clads afloat, and 5 building, and 5 armourclad floating batteries. Of these the hulls of 15 were of wood, I wood and iron, and 20 iron. Mr. Laird's return give the number of guns, tonnage, and cost of the several vessels, but not the manning. The Achilles of 6,121 tons, and 9,525 load displacement, and 1,250 horse power, and 26 guns, built in a Government dockyard, cost 457,810l. The Black Prince of 41 guns, and 6,109 tons, and 9,250 tons displacement, and 1,250 horse power, and built in a private yard, cost only 363,8137., and the Warrior, a similar ship, with one gun less, cost 360,9951.; but the Minotaur and Agincourt, each of 26 guns, and 6,621 tonnage, and 10,230 tons displacement, and 1,350 horse power, also built in a private yard, were to cost 425,3581. and 423,6841. respectively, when completed, the larger vessels costing 32,4527. and 34,120l. less than the Achilles. Table III shows that the combatant force of the English navy in commissioned officers and men is 4,128 officers, 33,872 petty officers and men, 7,000 boys, 484 officers of the coast guard, and 6,516 seamen, including 320 boys, total 52,000. To this number is to be added 511 officers infantry and artillery of the marines, and 16,489 infantry and artillery, total 17,000, grand total 69,000, besides 21,500 naval volunteers and reserved seamen. These numbers also are exclusive of 31 officers and 517 men for dockyard police, and 500 civilians, officers and men, employed in the victualling department. The combatant force, therefore, may be considered 514 ships, and 90,500 officers and men. III. STRENGTH OF THE FRENCH NAVY. The following Tables II and IIA, in chapter iv, section 2, of the French budget, are an unquestionable improvement upon the English estimates and the preceding returns, inasmuch as they give the effective screw, paddle, and sailing portions of the navy afloat in 1865, and supply all information in regard to rates, manning, and cost (with the exception of the number of guns) in each vessel, by a glance of the eye over their columns. There are only 81 screw steam vessels afloat, with 831 officers, independently of the attached staff, and 17,234 sub-officers and seamen, and the total annual cost of these 81 screw vessels is 11,373,712 frs., or 454,949l., and this includes, as is shown by the Tables II and III, the commissariat, medical and clerical officers, and additional pay and table money for the officers, and that sum also includes 1,571,073 frs., or 62,8431., for clothing. The reading of the table is as follows: Take the single ship of the first-rate, with a fixed complement of 1,170, of whom 32 are officers, the pay of the 32 officers is 44,800 frs., 1,792l., com- *The wages of British seamen are regulated by their rating, and range from 16l. 148. 7d. to 30l. 88. 4d., and to petty officers up to 821. 2s. 6d. per annum. Strength of the French NaVY.-TABLE II OF THE FRENCH Budget.— Frégates Traitement complet Solde de Grade. Des Officiers Des Des Des Des Commis- de niers. ciens. fr. fr. fr. fr. fr. 1,170 913 180 32 1,138 1,170 44,800 2,000| 7,200 2,500 5,298 5,478 244,800 9,000 43,200 15,000 397 415 25,900 1,500 6,000 2,500 - 831 17,234 18,065 1,070,950 83,600 231,600 32,500 26,000 the total cost is 530,503 fre., consequently each officer averages In addition to the above 81 screws, there are 57 paddle-wheel steamers, varying from 60 to 450 horse power, with 250 officers and 3,759 men, total 4,009, at a charge of 3,237,276 frs., 129,4911.; add to the above, 50 sailing vessels and 6 frigates with screws for experiment, and 20 ships in reserve, making a total of 76, with 436 officers and 6,214 men. The total of the French navy therefore is 214 ships and 30,473 officers, men and boys, afloat, at an annual cost, including clothing, of 22,272,365 frs., 890,894l. There are also a few vessels at Brest and elsewhere for schools, not enumerated. The infantry troops of the marine, as they are called, consist of 118 companies, with 483 officers and 13,816 sub-officers and men, of whom 6,225 are in the colonies, 28 companies of artillery, with 176 officers and 4,233 sub-officers and men, including 6 companies of workmen ; of these 1,252 are in the colonies, 5 companies of gendarmerie marine, with 17 officers and 365 men; a company of discipline, with |