The historian is not, however, concerned with the future, and the only justification for the title given above is the intention here to briefly review the state of marine construction, as represented at the beginning of this new century by typical vessels built or being built by the Scotts. It is difficult, where so many ships of distinctive design and equipment have been constructed, to select a few representative types. Amongst the countries which have had new ships in recent years are France, Russia, Italy, Denmark, Holland, Portugal, Greece, India, the Straits Settlements, China, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and other South American Republics, and the United States of America. This list of foreign _cliéntele_, however, is being diminished, owing to the influence of subsidies paid by foreign Governments to shipowners or shipbuilders. Taking account only of large vessels built during the past fifty years, there are one hundred and five of Scotts' steamers now trading in China seas, twenty-six in the Indian Ocean, ten on the North Atlantic, nine in the South African seas, thirty in South American waters, eighteen in the Colonial service, and ninety-seven on the European coast; while in home waters there are many more. One of the gratifying features in connection with the commercial relationship of the Scotts, too, is the continuance of confidence over a long period of years of several of our large steamship companies. This is, perhaps, the best indication of the satisfactory character of the work done. The Holt Line have had built for them within forty years, by the Scotts, forty-eight vessels of 148,353 tons. The China Navigation Company have had a greater number of ships, namely, sixty-four, but as the size is smaller the total tonnage is less, namely, 115,600 tons. An important Continental firm has had twenty-one vessels; while for a Portuguese Company five large vessels were built, and for the French Trans-Atlantic Company eleven fast liners. Other cases might be mentioned, but these suffice. [Illustration: Plate XXVIII. THE DONALDSON LINER, "CASSANDRA."] As regards fast steamers, the recent warships built and described in a previous chapter may be accepted as typical in so far as the problems of marine engineering are concerned. In each of these cases the design of the machinery has been prepared by the firm, and the difficulties were more complicated than in the case of merchant work. Moreover, it must be remembered, that the maritime predominance of Britain is due as much to that enormous fleet of moderate-speed intermediate and cargo ships, which maintain exceptionally long voyages with regularity and economy, as to the fast ships engaged on comparatively short routes. Of the nine thousand odd British ships included in _Lloyds' Register_, less than 2-1/2 per cent. have a speed of over 16 knots: a fact which in itself proves that economy, rather than speed, is the primary consideration.[68]