approach to an exact statement of the paper strength of the navy during the years which it covers. According to this authority, the total nominal force of the Royal Navy in January 1778 was 399 vessels, of which 274 were in full sea pay, or commission, while 125 were in ordinary, or reserve. The usual phrase of the time was “lying by the walls”—that is to say, in the dockyards. The advance during the war will be seen from the following list:— +------------------+---------------+--------------+ | | Vessels in | Total of all | | | Full Sea Pay. | Vessels. | +------------------+---------------+--------------+ | 1st January 1778 | 274 | 399 | | " " 1779 | 317 | 432 | | " " 1780 | 364 | 481 | | " " 1781 | 396 | 538 | | " " 1782 | 398 | 551 | | " " 1783 | 430 | 608 | +------------------+---------------+--------------+ This, however, is paper strength. It includes battered hulks fit only for harbour duty, prizes needing a refit, yachts and ships building. Even at the very end of the war such authorities as Keppel and Howe could not agree as to the number of vessels really available for service. Ships were put into commission simply in order to please supporters by conferring professional favours on them, their relations, or clients. A great display of pennants might be made by this device, but it was a show out of all proportion to the effective strength. Then, as in much later times, it was the dishonest official practice to include vessels building in the list of the navy. Thus, in the last year of the war, it was said that we had four first-rates of 100 guns. In reality there had been three, which were reduced to two by the sinking of the =Royal George= at Spithead. Another was ordered to replace her, and a fourth, the =Queen Charlotte=, which afterwards carried Howe’s flag on the 1st June, was also begun. They were not ready for years, but they were counted in to make up the tale of four. Where our evidence is confessedly not sound, it is idle to make confident assertions about the strength of the fleet. But the sea pay lists represent what was the utmost claimed by the Government as ready for immediate service. The figures for the beginning and the end of 1778 will show what was the disposition of the fleet, and also what was the first effect of the outbreak of hostilities with France. January 1778. December 1778.