[29] The false impression that a British battleship could be built in about a third of the time that German ships take to construct had far more to do with subsequent shipbuilding reductions than any deliberate ignoring of naval needs, such as those responsible were accused of. [30] They first appeared, as already recorded, in British cruisers of the _Minotaur_ class. Their safety record is to be found in the survival of the _Pallada_ at Port Arthur; their inconvenience in the fact that in the _Neptune_ they were abandoned. [31] These were announced as intended to carry four 12-inch and eight 10-inch, besides smaller guns. The 10-inch proved later on to be mythical. [32] American scientific gunnery rather post-dates the _South Carolina_ design. [33] It should be remembered that alterations were made in the _Invincible_ class in the course of construction, and this probably helped to swell the cost. [34] In the Chinese ships _Ting Yuen_ and _Chen Yuen_, built in Germany in 1882 with big guns _en échelon_, the former had the port big guns foremost, the latter the starboard ones--presumably an appreciation of and an attempt to overcome the inherent defect of the échelon system--the two ships being intended to fight in company, and so have one of the two always in the best fighting position were the enemy anywhere on the beam or quarter. [35] The torpedo, for example, may possibly bring about something of the sort by a state of speed and accuracy which leads to heavy or anticipated heavy long-range losses from it in fleet actions. To offer only one-fifth or so of the target would then be a serious consideration. [36] This is rumoured to have been abandoned for oil fuel. [37] Something of the same kind was also observed about 1870 or earlier, when a Whitworth gun punched through a 6-inch iron plate! [38] Since these words were written the _Lusitania_ has been torpedoed. I see no reason whatever to alter the original thesis. [39] Dean Swift in “Gulliver’s Travels” described almost exactly the moons of Mars long before their existence was ever suspected. [40] Of these, the third in either case was built or put together in Australia. [41] Now renamed _Zelandia_. [42] In May, 1912, the _New Zealand_ was definitely handed over to the British Navy. The _Australia_ still remains a Commonwealth ship. [43] See Vol. I., Chap. III. No less a man than Sir Francis Drake appears to have invented “spit and polish.” [44] See Vol. I., page 194. [45] The minimum is given in each case. Index. Aboukir, Battle of, 152, v. i Abuses, Naval, 65, v. i Acquitaine, 11, v. i Admiral Bacon’s Theory, 204, v. ii Admiral Hopkins--Earliest Advocate of Centre-Line in England, 179, v. ii Aerial Bombs First Provided Against, 173, v. ii Aerial Dreadnoughts, 171, v. ii Aerial Experiments in Austria, 228, v. ii Aerial Guns, 226, v. ii Aeroplanes for Naval Purposes, 226, v. ii Agreement with the Colonies, Naval, 237, v. ii