The re-appearance of Napoleon and the events which culminated in the battle of Waterloo did not lead to any naval operations, and with the final deportation of Napoleon to St. Helena, a further reduction of the fleet took place. The estimates sank to £10,114,345, and considerable reductions of officers and men were made. VIII. GENERAL MATTERS IN THE PERIOD OF THE FRENCH WARS. Naval uniform, as we understand it, first came into use for officers in the days of George II,[63] who so admired a blue and white costume of the Duchess of Bedford that he decided then and there to dress his naval officers in similar fashion. No very precise regulations were, however, followed, and for many years uniform was more or less optional or at the fancy of the captain. The first uniform consisted of a blue coat, with white cuffs and gold buttons. The waistcoat, breeches, and stockings were white. The hat was the ordinary three-cornered black hat of the period with some gold lace about it and a cockade. Other officers wore uniforms which were slight variants upon this: while as special distinguishing marks only the captain (if over three years’ seniority) wore epaulettes upon both shoulders. A lieutenant wore one only. From time to time the uniform was altered slightly, mostly as regards the cuffs and lapels; but enormous latitude was allowed, and some officers even dressed as seamen. There was no general uniform whatever for the men; though circumstances led to the bulk of the men in any one ship being dressed more or less alike. This was the result of the “slop chest.” This was introduced about the year 1650, and amounted to nothing more than a species of ready-made tailor ship at which men at their own expense could obtain articles of clothing. Later on it became compulsory for newly-joined men, whose clothes were defective, to purchase clothing on joining, to the tune of two months’ pay. These articles being supplied to a ship wholesale, were naturally all alike, and so the men of one ship would all be more or less uniformly attired. Men of another ship might be dressed quite differently, though also more or less like each other. But any idea of uniform as “uniform,” right up to Trafalgar, was entirely confined to one or two dandy captains, and they mainly only considered their own boat’s crews.[64] Some fearful and wonderful costumes of this kind are recorded.