they are away from business, another day's pay they expend at least in refreshments; then they are tired the third day, and are not able to do much; so that on the average three days' earnings are expended on these occasions. Yet in order to keep the force effective these drills must be frequent, as nothing else will do it. The officers must be accustomed to drill in larger bodies, or how are they to know how to place their companies in line, or form any regimental manoeuvre; they have been raised now some time, and ought to know something more than mere company drill, the sameness and repetition of which disgusts the men, and does not open their ideas; they must get further, but who is to pay the expense when companies are at some distance from each other. Who likes a march of six or seven miles, and then a good sharp drill before returning home? In large towns this is not the case, as they are easily collected, and can parade as a regiment anywhere, at any time. Near London there are several regiments, and they can have an occasional day at brigade drill. All this will tend to make them effective, and the demonstration that is talked of for Easter Monday near Brighton, will do a good deal for the railway companies as well as the men, for if a proper system is laid down for telling the different companies off to particular carriages, much time and confusion will be saved, and all parties will learn how necessary it is to have everything done with regularity and order, for in the case of actual service, any delay might be of the greatest consequence, and cause the loss perhaps of some important point.

The Volunteer Artillery Corps will no doubt be found most useful auxiliaries to the Regular Corps and embodied Militia Artillery, and it is very probable that the Volunteers will be found the most efficient body of the two, for in the first place they are better educated than the others, and coming voluntarily from the higher class of men, will have taken more pains to learn their duties as artillerymen than the Militia.

The force has now been some time formed, and in order to keep it in a proper state, should have annual inspections the same as in the Regular Service, and the captains and subalterns be called upon to drill the regiment the same as in the Line, so that the Inspecting general or field-officer may be able to give a proper account of their efficiency to the Commander-in-Chief, who would then be able to know where to look for the best regiment in case of need. These inspections should not be hurried over in a complimentary manner, often perhaps, because my Lord -may be its colonel; all these complimentary speeches made on the parade and after dinner ought to be prohibited, as they are often all blarney, and how is an Inspecting officer able to give in a true and correct report when he has made a flattering speech, though

he may in many things have occasion to find fault; if he has any fault to find, then let him speak out and give a few hints, but otherwise the least said the better, let the regiment inspected consider that he is pleased when he holds his tongue, and when the confidential report is given in, let the Commander-in-Chief, if he thinks fit, promulgate it to the regiment.

It is to be hoped that something may be adopted to keep this national force in an efficient state, and not let it go down altogether, yet in many cases it would be well to let some of them go, for if any are tired or get inattentive to their duty, it would be better to be without them, for a few good and well-trained soldiers are preferable to a large body which is not under proper command. Let returns be called for from each corps shewing how the parades had been attended, and the number at each for the last six months. Let captains of companies go round their men, and inquire of each separately if he is willing to serve for another year, and if he would be punctual at drill. If any man is absent above a certain number of times consecutively, without showing a good cause, his name to be struck off the list, and a fine should be enforced for every case of absence, unless through sickness or any very urgent case, as being from home on the day, and if he gave notice to the captain or sergeant that he could not attend, that should be satisfactory.

The officers should be men of some weight and influence in the place, who could spare a little time to look to the interior economy of their corps, and keep up a proper dignity, at least on parade, and in no instance allow a man on duty to speak to him without saluting; the man may be a wealthy tradesman, who would think it derogatory to salute any man in such a manner who might not be quite so well off in the world as himself, but he must consider it is not the individual he salutes, it is his superior officer for the time being, and it is Her Majesty's commissioned officer, whom he is bound to obey when on duty. There are many other little breaches of military etiquette which ought to be observed, but are generally neglected.

Supposing our Volunteer force was to be broken up to-morrow, they have done the state some service, for there is a body of men scattered through the length and breadth of the land who have acquired some knowledge of military duties, which they knew nothing of some very few years ago, and who would be ready if required at any future period to turn out.

Another benefit that has been derived from this association, is bringing the rifle into general use, if it is only used as an amusement or game, it is a manly one, and though the force may become reduced in numbers, yet many corps about London and other large towns, especially when there may be good shooting

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ground and ranges near, will not disembody themselves, but keep up their corps in a respectable and effective manner, thus forming an example and nucleus for other corps to adopt and follow in case of being wanted.

If the numbers became reduced, it might be the means of getting Government more readily to give a small grant for the support of those that remain, for it is to be feared that if proper returns could be attained of the actual strength, that many paper men would be found, who if they did appear in time of emergency would be better if they had staid at home altogether, as a few awkward men would spoil everything, and prevent those who were better acquainted with their duty from performing it properly; so it is hoped that those who do not intend to enter into the business con spirito did not take any part in the proceeding, for as was said above, it is better to have a small, well-disciplined army in the field than a great body of men who were not so.

C. S.

STEAM SHIPS AND STEAM OFFICERS.

A return has lately been presented to Parliament, in obedience to a requisition dated 17th February, showing the number of steam ships afloat and building on the 1st of February of this year. The same return gives the number of effective sailing ships. The sum total is grand indeed, for it shows a force of 414 screw ships, and 111 paddle ships afloat, and 51 screw, and 4 paddle wheel ships building, or converting. According to this official statement, the steam navy of Great Britain numbers, or will shortly number, 580 vessels, while sailing ships, including 79 mortarvessels and floats, figure only as 110; of which nine are line-ofbattle ships, and 14 frigates.

The nearest approximation to the horse-power of this magnificent steam-fleet is 130,000; but it would puzzle any one to arrive at an accurate statement having no better guide than the Parliamentary

returns.

Without attempting to enter into detail relative to this steam force, or to hazard any further conjectures upon the ultimate success of the iron monsters by which some hope to supplant "wooden walls," we will call attention to the fact that independant of the iron ships there are 57 screw line of battle ships, 37 screw frigates, 9 screw block ships, 144 screw and paddle corvettes, sloops, and gun vessels, and 185 screw gun boats, in addition to tenders, screw mortar sloops, floating batteries, troop and store ships.

This rapid growth of steam power is something marvellous; it betokens the constant employment of all the large steam factories in the British islands, and we have only to look to the estimates to be convinced that the outlay has been enormous.

It seems not so very long ago that a great sensation was caused among the sea faring population and shore going people, by the appearance of the little "Comet," and her follower, the " Lightning," and numerous and grave were the opinions offered, adverse of course to such a novel mode of propulsion. A few years more, and the "Rhadamanthus," "Salamander," and "Dee," became the favourites; but at length paddle wheel frigates culminated in Oliver Langs "Terrible," which ship has never yet been surpassed as an effective paddle wheel steam war ship. The "Comet,"

launched at Deptford in 1822, which ship is still a useful little vessel, measures 238 tons, and her power is 80 horse. The "Lightning," an improved "Comet," built in 1823, is of 296 tons, and 100 horse-power. The "Rhadamanthus," "Dee," and Salamander," were larger still being between 700 and 800 tons, and every new ship was an improvement upon her predecessor: their tonnage and horse-power increasing, until as we have said, the paddle wheel war race culminated in the " Terrible," a magnificent ship and noble sea boat, of 1850 tons, and of 800 horse-power. The Royal yacht is, however, larger than the "Terrible," measuring 2345 tons; but though a splendid ship and the gem of the ocean as a paddle yacht, the old "Terrible" has not been surpassed as a paddle ship of war.

While the side wheel remained the orthodox mode of propulsion for a war steamer, it seemed impossible to improve upon the "Terrible." No one proposed paddle wheel line-of-battle ships, although but for the introduction of the Archimedean screw, it is not impossible that the difficulty in the way would in some manner have been overcome. The invention of the screw, however, removed every obstacle to the size of steam ships, and soon we had an "Agamemnon" to match the "Napoléon" of our neighbour. But for the stop put to wooden ship building by the experimental ironsides, we should by this time have had at least seventy ships such as those who watched the old "Comet" forty years ago never dreamt of. Everything goes by steam now. Steam ferry boats, tenders, gun boats, and even water tanks. The amount invested in steam engines alone, most of which are in work, or at least in working order, cannot be far short of ten millions sterling! Watt, the great projector of the marine engine, could scarcely have hoped that within forty years from the time of his death, the ocean would be thronging with myriads of ships, one of the enormous bulk of 20,000 tons, deriving their motive power from engines the first principles of which he designed.

It would be useless to enlarge upon the merits of a science which is at once the wonder and admiration of the world; but some profit may be derived from considering the position, social and otherwise, of those who have rendered themselves national benefactors, by undertaking to direct and control the gigantic machinery which is the product of so much wondrous ingenuity. And in particular we refer to those who incur a manifold risk by service in the Royal Navy.

The engineer who engages to serve in the mercantile navy has nothing to encounter but the ordinary accidents and breaks down occasioned by wear and tear. Not so the director of machinery on board a war ship. The naval engineer pursues his perilous calling with the full knowledge that of all others in the ship in the event