Corfu; the length of the island is about thirty-five, its breadth about twelve miles, and its climate is nearly tropical. But, besides Corfu, there are Cephalonia; Zante, the glory of the Levant; Santa Maura, a mass of mountain; Ithaca, a shapeless combination of huge rocks; Paxo, with a port of good anchorage, and Cerigo, where Ptolemy was once the lord.

And last,-far, far removed from the spicy groves and aromatic odors, from the glowing scenery and the rich forests of the lands of the mountain and the flood, to which, in these observations on our colonies, we have directed the attention of our readers, is situate, in the North Sea, our colony of HELIGOLAND. There, at only a few miles distance from the mouths of the Elbe, the Eyder, the Weser, and the Jahde, has England placed a sentinel to watch over her commerce and protect her navy. There England has her noble light-house, serving as a beacon to the world; but there she keeps up a good school of pilots, and maintains her supremacy and her glory as still "Mistress of the Waves." Thus it is, and thus may it ever be, that wherever commerce is to be conducted, trade to be carried on, manufactures to be placed, mankind to be civilized, Christianity to be extended, education to be promoted, and the great family of man to be improved-there are we!

We ought, perhaps, to say something of Fernando Po, of Aden in the Red Sea, and of the Island of Socotra; but these are scarcely entitled to notice, and cannot with propriety be denominated colonies. Some also would include Guernsey, Jersey, and the smaller contiguous isles, as well as that of Man, where the laws and customs are peculiar. But all of these are rather dependencies of the British Empire, than colonies, in the usual acceptation of the term. We have said enough. To recapitulate even the titles of our colonies, is a source of honest satisfaction and of national pride; and to feel that when we carry to a new settlement the British flag, we at the same time plant the standard of science, the arts, letters, civilization, morals and religion, is a motive for exultation and for joy. But as our influence is great, so are our responsibilities to man, to society, to our colonies, and to Heaven. God forbid, then, that when we point to our northern and our southern, to our tropical and to our arctic possessions, and exclaim, "There are we!" it should be supposed we are indifferent to the conditions on which we are there. No! if we were there as absolute and tyrannical rulers—as masters indifferent to the happiness and prosperity of our dependents as colonists sacrificing the welfare of the natives to our love of lucre-as nominal Christians indifferent to the moral and religious education of the people-as mere grinding task-masters, hard exactors and strong-headed proprietors of the soil-then most heartily would we exclaim, God grant we may soon be there no longer! But it is precisely because in British ships we export British civilization and liberty-the liberty of time-honored institutions, and of a limited monarchy, that we exclaim right joyously and in all sincerity, as we point to our list of noble and glorious colonies-Yes-THERE ARE WE!

Art. VI. THE MERCHANT FLEETS AND NAVIES OF THE WORLD.

The oak leviathans whose huge ribs, &c."-BYRON.

EVERY classical reader will remember that famous catalogue of ships. from all countries which Homer furnishes us, before the walls of Troy. After the fame of their deeds and the pomp of the enumeration, we are surprised to reflect they were but " open row-boats

or canoes!"

The Greek fleet, 600 years later, at Salamis, was but half-decked; the soldiers being stationed on platforms at each extremity, and the middle of the frail boats was left open for the rowers. The vessels composing the expedition of Nearchus into India long afterwards, were row-gallies, capable of being hauled on shore with convenience, and not comfortable enough to allow the mariners to remain two consecutive nights on board!

The Romans began to build their navy on the model of a Carthaginian ship thrown upon their shores; and the vessels were of so large a size when Julius Cæsar invaded England, that they could not approach near enough to the shore for the soldiers to disembark; "but they were obliged to jump into the water, which was breasthigh."

The northern Sea Kings, who spread such terror over Europe after the downfall of the Roman power, covered every sea with their fleets, which had no other guides than the sun by day and the stars by night. Their vessels are described as large, fl t-bottomed boats, of light timber, the sides and upper works of wicker, with a covering of strong hides. They were transported on wagons from one river to another. It can scarcely be credited that these vessels were used on such perilous voyages.

But we have not time nor space to follow with particularity the slow progress of naval and maritime architecture from these rude beginnings. It would, without doubt, be a most interesting study.

Our purpose is now to take up the leading powers of the world, and exhibit their respective naval and maritime strength, by a consultation of the best and latest authorities within reach.

1. GREAT BRITAIN.

"Look at the already immense number of powerful steam-ships that swarm in the waters of the Mediterranean, and enter every port upon its beautiful shores; that are found careering in every sea of Europe, from the Frozen Ocean to the Bay of Biscay and the Black Sea that have long since driven every other mode of transit out of the Euphrates and the Red Sea; that penetrate the Indus

almost to its source; that ascend the Canton river, in spite of every obstacle, besides myriads of war-junks, and batter down the walls of the ancient celestial cities; that are surrounding every island and entering every harbor in the West Indies; that swarm along the shores of North America, from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Isthmus of Darien; and that regularly transmit the rich produce of the mines of South America, from all its principal ports on the east and west side to the great commercial metropolis of the world— crowded, busy London. Look at all this, and see what an element she has to sustain her in her onward march for empire. At no period did Great Britain possess such a foundation for naval strength within her bosom as at present. She now possesses 3,500,000 tons of shipping, and numbers 160,000 seamen in her commercial navy, while a fleet of seven hundred steam-boats (more than is possessed by all the rest of Europe) prowl along her shores."*

In 1793, the British navy consisted of 153 line of battle ships, hulks and vessels, on the stocks.

LINE OF BATTLE SHIPS OF ALL NATIONS, 1793.

Or, a little more than one-half possessed by Great Britain. In 1844, Britain possessed nearly as many such ships as all the rest of the world together.

ACCOUNT OF THE PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF THE ROYAL NAVY, FROM HENRY VIII.'S REIGN TO THE CLOSE OF THE LAST WAR, 1814.

In 1814, Great Britain had 901 ships, of which 177 were of the line; and in 1830, 921 ships.

*We are indebted for these facts to the able work of P. L. Simmonds, Esq., of the Colonial Magazine of London.

The expenses of the navy for the year ending 5th July, 1843,

We shall now draw for the remainder of our paper upon official documents, presented in 1846, by Mr. Bancroft, to the Senate of the United States. They were prepared by a Board of Naval Officers, and embrace all the nations of the world.

Ships of the Line...... 17.... 1,570.... 23........2,124...... 75....6,258....115

Frigates..

32 ..1,146.... 15..

498....

73....3,066....120

Sloops, brigs, and bombs 71.... 856.... 21.... 305.... 40.... 521....132

The official list numbers 671 vessels, but names only 636; whole number of guns to 636 vessels, 17,681; number of men in the navy, 27,500; boys, 2,000; marines, 10,500-total, 40,000. Revenue vessels, 72, mounting 144 guns: British Indian navy, 1844-'5, 36 vessels, of which 22 are steamers guns 166. Total number of steamers in the English navy, including 35 contract mail-steamers, 199. There are eight East India mail-steamers.

2.-UNITED STATES.

In 1780, a Committee of Congress reported but four American war-vessels fit for service. In 1781, we had but two frigates, the Alliance and the Deane; the former of which, being the sole American war-vessel remaining, was sold at the close of the war. The Algerine depredations upon our commerce in the Mediteranean, convinced Congress of the importance of providing a naval armament; and six frigates were authorized in 1794, and also ten vessels to be fitted as galleys. A navy, however, being very unpopular in Congress, and a treaty of peace being made with Algiers, but three of these frigates were completed. In the apprehension of French difficulties in 1798, the President was authorized to build, buy or hire twelve vessels, of not more than 22 guns each, and the naval charge was taken from the Secretary of War and given to an independent department. In 1801, a treaty being made with France, the President was authorized to sell all the naval vessels, except the frigates Constitution, United States, Congress, Constellation, President, Chesapeake, Essex, Philadelphia, New-York, Boston, John Adams, Adams and General Greene.

From this period, the growth of the navy has been steady, "fighting itself," as it has been said, "into favor," and into its present stature. We now proceed to furnish a few tabular statements.

BRIGS, Norfolk, 18 guns; Richard, 18; Angusta, 14; Pickering, 16; Syren, 16; Argus, 16; Hornet, 16.-SCHOONERS, Enterprize. 14; Experiment, 14; Vixen, 14; Nautilus, 14.-GALLEYS, South Carolina, Charleston, Beaufort, St. Mary's, Savannah, Protector, Mars, Governor Davie, Governor Williams.

* Seybert's Statistics of United States.