RATES

It has already been observed, in the article NAVY, that this regulation, which limits the rates of men of war to the smallest number possible, seems to have been dictated by considerations of political oeconomy, or of that of the simplicity of the service in the royal dock-yards. The British fleet is accordingly distributed into six rates, exclusive of the inferior vessels that usually attend on naval armaments; as sloops of war, armed ships, bomb-ketches, fire-ships and cutters, or schooners commanded by lieutenants.

Ships of the first rate mount 100 cannon, having 42 pounders on the lower deck, 24 pounders on the middle deck, 12 pounders on the upper deck, and 6 pounders on the quarter-deck and forecastle. They are manned with 850 men, including their officers, seamen, marines and servants.

In general, the ships of every rate, besides the captain, have the master, the boatswain, the gunner, the chaplain, the purser, the surgeon, and the carpenter; all of whom, except the chaplain, have their mates or assistants, in which are comprehended the sail-maker, the master at arms, the armorer, the captain's clerk, the gunsmith, &c.

The number of other officers are always in proportion to the rate of the ship. Thus a first rate has six lieutenants, six master's mates, twenty-four midshipmen, and five surgeon's mates, who are considered as gentlemen besides the following petty officers: quarter-masters, and their mates, fourteen; boatswains. mates and yeomen, eight; gunners mates and assistants, six; quarter-gunners, twenty-five; carpenters mates, two, besides fourteen assistants; with one steward, and steward's mate to the purser.

If the dimensions of all ships of the same rate were equal, it would be the simplest and most perspicuous method to collect them into one point of view in a table; but as there is no invariable rule for the general dimensions, it must suffice to remark those of same particular ships in each rate for which purpose we have selected some of the latest construction.

The Victory, which is the last built of our first rates, is 222 feet 6 inches in length, from the head to the stern; the length of her keel, 151 feet 3 inches., that of her gun-deck, or lower deck, 186 feet; her extreme breadth is 51 feet 10 inches ; her depth in the hold, 21 feet 6 inches; her burthen 2162 tons; and her poop. reaches 6 feet before the mizen-mast.

Reference Works