United States Tariff-Regulations and Instructions,.... Circular Instructions to Collectors and other Officers of Customs,. Neapolitan Tariff-A Correct Translation of the Neapolitan Tariff,.. JOURNAL OF MINING AND MANUFACTURES. Manufacturing Industry of New York, No. 2-Chelsea; its Progress in Population and Indus- trial Pursuits-Chelsea Pearl Light Works-Kaox's Cotton Factory-Greenwich Pottery- Crocker's Wire Works and Rolling Mills-Archimedes Iron Works-The Allaire Works-New York Iron Foundry, Printing-Press, and Saw Manufactory-Hogg and Delmater's Iron Foundry- Columbian Foundry and Burr Mill-Stone Manufactory-The Works of the New York and Sau- Iron Mountains of Missouri; a Letter to the Editor. By L. FEUCHTWANGER, M. D.,. Flour Inspections at New Orleans, for the year ending September, 1846,.. Iron Trade, etc., of Great Britain.-Statistics of Shipping at Quebec,.. Delaware and Raritan Canal-Charter of the Company-Original Cost of Canal-Receipts and Ex- penditures for eight years-Rates of Toll on the Canal in 1846-47,. HUNT'S MERCHANTS' MAGAZINE. JANUARY, 1847. Art. I-HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NAVIGATION AND NAVAL ARCHITECTURE. NUMBER III.-NEW SERIES. The spirit of commercial enterprise is diffused throughout the country. It is a passion as unconquerable as any with which nature has endowed us. The prosperity of foreign commerce is indissolubly allied to marine power. The authority to provide a navy was confided to Congress, and the period has arrived when it should be exercised. A navy will form a new bond of connection between the states, concentrating their hopes, their interests, and their affections.-HENRY CLAY. THE first object of Admiral Sir George Rodney, after he had organized his large fleet at Barbadoes, was to intercept a second convoy, which had sailed from Brest, for the same object of that which had been so successfully attacked by Admiral Kempenfelt; he, therefore, disposed of his heavy ships, in a line to the windward of the French islands, and another line, composed of frigates, was formed beyond them; but the convoy, having made the island of Desiada, to the northward, passed to leeward of the British fleet, and keeping close in under the land of Guadaloupe and Dominique, escaped, and arrived safe into Port Royal Bay, in the island of Martinico, on the 20th of March, where they found Count De Grasse. Sir George having been disappointed in his object, went to St. Lucia to refit and take in supplies, while his frigates watched the manœuvres of the French. The objects of the hostile commanders, were as opposite as their interests. It was the design of De Grasse to avoid fighting, till he had formed a junction with the Spanish fleet under Don Solano, at Hispaniola. On the other side, the salvation of the West Indies depended upon Rodney's preventing a union of the French and Spanish forces, or bringing on a decisive engagement with De Grasse, before it could be accomplished. The British fleet amounted to thirty-six ships of the line; and that of France to thirty-four, having on board five thousand five hundred troops; but several of the ships were in a bad condition. The van of the British was commanded by Sir Samuel Hood, the centre by Sir George Rodney, and the rear by Admiral Francis Drake. The three divisions of the French fleet were under Count De Grasse and Admirals Vaudreuil and Bougainville. On the 8th of April, at break of day, the French fleet moved out of Port Royal, with a large convoy under its protection, bound to the French leeward ports, or those of Spain in Hispaniola. De Grasse intended to keep close under the islands, to avoid an encounter on his passage; but his departure was so speedily communicated, by signals from the British frigates which were on the look-out, that Rodney was clear of Gross Islet Bay by noon, and pursued with such expedition, that he gained sight of the French fleet at night, close under Dominique. Early the next morning, Count De Grasse formed his line of battle to windward, and thereby offered an opportunity to his convoy to proceed on its course, while he remained to abide the consequences of an engagement. While the Count had wind enough for these movements, being further advanced towards Guadaloupe, the British fleet lay becalmed under the highlands of Dominique. The breeze at last reached the van of the latter, and the ships began to close with the French centre, while their own centre and rear were still becalmed. The action commenced about nine o'clock. The attack was led by the Royal Oak, and followed by the Alfred and Montague. The whole division was in a few moments closely engaged, and for more than an hour was severely pressed, by the superiority of the French; but at last the leading ships of the centre were enabled to come to its assistance. These were soon followed by Rodney in the Formidable, with the Namur and the Duke, all of ninety guns. They delivered and supported a most tremendous fire. The gallantry of a French commander of a seventy-four in the rear excited the applause and admiration of his enemies-who, having backed his main topsails, steadily received and bravely returned the fire of three ships of the line, in succession, without in the least changing his station. The coming up of these several ships of the centre division induced the French commander to change the nature of the action, in such a manner as that it might not be decisive; and therefore kept at such a distance, during the remainder of the engagement, as evinced an intention of disabling the British ships without any considerable hazard on his own side. The action was thus continued for nearly two hours longer: during all which time, the other portion of the British fleet was kept back by the calms and baffling winds, under Dominique; but about twelve o'clock, the other ships of the centre came up, and the rear was closing the line, when De Grasse withdrew his fleet from the action. Two of the French ships were so much injured, that they were obliged to quit the fleet and put into Guadaloupe, which reduced the Count's line to thirty-two ships. On the British side, the Royal Oak and Montague suffered extremely, but were capable of being repaired, without the neces sity of leaving the fleet. The British fleet lay to, during the night, to repair damages, and the next day was principally spent in refitting, keeping the wind, and in transposing the rear and van; as the former, not having been engaged, was in a better condition for the active service of that division. Both fleets kept turning up to windward, in the channel which separates Domi. nique and Guadaloupe. On the 11th, the French had weathered Guadaloupe, and gained such a distance that the main body of the fleet could not be discovered from the British centre. About noon, one of the French ships, which had suffered in the action, was perceived to fall off considerably from the rest of the fleet to leeward, when the British Admiral made signals for a general chase, which was so vigorous that the Agamemnon, and some others of the headmost ships of the line were coming up so fast with that ship, that her dangerous situation induced De Grasse to bear down, with his whole fleet, to her assistance. The pursuing British ships fell back into their stations, and a close line was formed. During the night, such manœuvres were performed by the British fleet, as were necessary to maintain its position. The French also prepared for battle with the greatest resolution. The position of the fleets, on the morning of the 12th, was between the islands of Guadaloupe and Dominique, and was bounded to windward and leeward by dangerous shores. The fleets met on opposite tacks, and the battle commenced about seven o'clock, which was continued with unremitting fury, until near the same hour in the evening. Admiral Drake's division led, and received and returned the fire of the whole French line. The other ships, as they came up, ranged slowly along the French line, and in close order under their lee. The Formidable, Rodney's ship, fired near eighty broadsides. The dreadful fire of the British was returned with the utmost firmness. Each side fought as if the honor of their respective countries were staked on the issue of the day. Between twelve and one, Admiral Rodney, in the Formidable, with the Namur and the Duke, and immediately supported by the Canada, bore directly athwart the French line under full sail, and successfully broke through, about three ships short of the centre, where Count De Grasse commanded, in the Ville de Paris, of 110 guns. Being followed by the remainder of his division, and wearing round, close upon the enemy, he effectually separated their line. This novel and bold movement was decisive; but the French, however, continued to fight with the utmost bravery until sunset. The moment that Rodney wore, he threw out a signal for the van to tack. Drake instantly complied; and thus the British fleet gained the wind of the French, and completed their general confusion. Their van endeavored to re-establish the line, but without success; and their rear was so entirely routed, that every effort for recovering its order was unavailing. Hood's division had been long becalmed, and was consequently prevented from coming into action; but his leading ships and part of his centre, as far at least as the Barfleur, which he commanded, came up at this juncture, and had a decisive effect. Captain Inglefield, in the Centaur, of seventy-four guns, advanced from the rear to the attack of the Cæsar, of like force. Both ships were fresh, and fought bravely; and although three other British ships came up successively, and poured in such a destructive fire that the Cæsar was nearly torn to pieces, still her commander was inflexible. His ensign staff being shot away, he ordered his colors to be nailed to the mast, and the contest was not ended, until he was slain. When the ship struck, one of her masts went overboard, and there was not a foot of canvass without a shot-hole. In the course of the night she got on fire and blew up, when a British lieutenant and fifty scamnen, with four hundred of her crew, perished. The captain of the Glorieux refused to yield till all his masts were shot away, and the ship was unable to make any defence. Count De Grasse made a noble defence; even after the line was broken, until toward evening, when the division and confusion became irreparable. The Languedock, Couvonne and Diadem were particularly distinguished, in his division; and the latter went down, in her gallant efforts to defend him. The Count's ship, after being much battered, was closely laid athwart by the Canada, and, in a desperate action of nearly two hours, was reduced almost to a wreck; still he considered it of the first importance to maintain the action, from the effect it might have on the whole fleet; and besides, he preferred sinking, rather than strike to any officer under the rank of an Admiral. Other ships came up and assailed him; but he continued to hold out. At last, the Barfleur approached, just at sunset, and poured in a most destructive fire; the Count, however, endured the repetition of it for a quarter of an hour longer, and did not yield till over four hundred of his crew were killed, and there were but two men, besides himself, left alive and unhurt, on the upper deck. The French lost six ships of the line, one of which was blown up, and another sunk. During the night, a part of the fleet ran down to the Dutch island of Curacoa; but the greatest part proceeded to Cape Francois, under Bougainville and Vaudreuil. Sir George Rodney, with the disabled ships of his fleet, and the prizes, sailed for Jamaica. Sir Samuel Hood was left with twenty-five ships of the line, to keep the sea, and watch the motions of the French. For the discovery of the grand manœuvre which secured that glorious victory to the British fleet, the commander was indebted to the ingenious Scotch geometrician, John Clerk of Eldin, who had invented and published, in January, 1782, an entirely new system of naval tactics, the adoption of which established an era in the naval history of Great Britain; for not only Rodney, but Admiral Duncan and Lord Nelson obtained their splendid victories of Camperdown and Trafalgar by breaking through the enemy's line of battle. This is another memorable illustration of the mighty power of genius, when united with science, in the accomplishment of momentous results. Like the French naval architect and engineer, Renau, Clerk, in the retirement of intellectual pursuits, had clearly demonstrated that the system of manœuvres which were taught in the British fleets, was not only erroneous in principle, but nugatory and fallacious in practice; and, what adds still greater lustre to his fame, he was not only utterly without experience in maritime warfare, but had never made a sea voyage, or even seen a ship of war of the first class, until after he had completed his work, and went up to London to have it printed. During the winter of 1781-2, France, Spain, and Holland were actively engaged in preparing extensive armaments, to be employed, in the spring, in various expeditions against the possessions of Great Britain, in all parts of the globe; the ministers therefore adopted the most energetic measures for counteracting the combined movements of those powerful maritime nations; and the chief objects of attention were to protect the trade of the Baltic, cut off the supplies that were destined for the fleets |