fresh hands.  In view of these figures, it is difficult to believe that it could have furnished the navy with 21,000 men, or, indeed, with any number approximating thereto.  It could not possibly have done so without restricting its operations, if only for a time.  So far were its operations from shrinking that they were positively extended.  The English tonnage ‘cleared outwards’ from our ports was for the years mentioned as follows:  1770, 703,495; 1771, 773,390; 1772 818,108.

Owing to the generally slow rate of sailing when on voyages and to the great length of time taken in unloading and reloading abroad—­both being often effected ‘in the stream’ and with the ship’s own boats—­the figures for clearances outward much more nearly represented the amount of our ‘foreign-going’ tonnage a century ago than similar figures would now in these days of rapid movement.  After 1771 the navy was reduced and kept at a relatively low standard till 1775.  In that year the state of affairs in America rendered an increase of our naval forces necessary.  In 1778 we were at war with France; in 1779 with Spain as well; and in December 1780 we had the Dutch for enemies in addition.  In September 1783 we were again at peace.  The way in which we had to increase the navy will be seen in the following table:—­

-------------------------------------------------------

|       |           |           |          |   Total    |
|       |  Seamen   |           |          | additional |
|       | voted for |           |          |   number   |
| Year. | the navy  | Increase. | ‘Waste.’ | required.  |
|-------------------------------------------------------|
| 1774  |  15,646   |     --    |    --    |      --    |
| 1775  |  18,000   |   2,354   |    936   |    3,290   |
| 1776  |  21,335   |   3,335   |  1,080   |    4,415   |
| 1777  |  34,871   |  13,536   |  1,278   |   14,184   |
| 1778  |  48,171   |  13,300   |  2,088   |   15,388   |
| 1779  |  52,611   |   4,440   |  2,886   |    7,326   |
| 1780  |  66,221   |  13,610   |  3,156   |   16,766   |
| 1781  |  69,683   |   3,462   |  3,972   |    7,434   |
| 1782  |  78,695   |   9,012   |  4,176   |   13,188   |
| 1783  |  84,709   |   6,014   |  4,722   |   10,736   |
-------------------------------------------------------
>
It cannot be believed that the merchant service, with
its then dimensions, could have possibly satisfied
these great and repeated demands, besides making up
its own ‘waste,’ unless its size were
much reduced.  After 1777, indeed, there was a
considerable fall in the figures of English tonnage
‘outwards.’  I give these figures
down to the first year of peace.
1777  736,234 tons ‘outwards.’
1778  657,238   "      " 1779  590,911   "   
  " 1780  619,462   "      " 1781  547,953  
"      " 1782  552,851   "      " 1783  795,669
  "      " 1784  846,355   "      "
At first sight it would seem as if there had, indeed,
been a shrinkage.  We find, however, on further