Page:The Development of Navies During the Last Half-Century.djvu/295

 the expense, or to increase the expenses to save the institution.'A sum of £20,000,000 sterling was granted, the expenditure of which was to be spread over eleven years. Such progress was made that in 1840, when relations between France and England were strained over the Syrian question, and our fleet had been suffered to fall below its proper strength, eminent French naval officers considered their country fully equal to coping with us at sea. They had in the Mediterranean at this time in Admiral Lalande an officer of great ability and energy, who, it is said, asked permission to attack the British Squadron. But more peaceful counsels prevailed, and we, profiting by the lesson, sent out reinforcements to our undermanned ships. At this time the equipment of French vessels was superior to ours, and their crews were in a high state of efficiency.

When, however, steam superseded sails the position we at once assumed in the construction of steam machinery gave us an advantage, which was apparent at the outbreak of the Crimean War. We had a greater number of steamers, and provided transports to convey French troops for the attack on Bomarsund. France undoubtedly was the first to construct sea-going ironclads, a policy we at first thought folly and then were constrained to follow. Their early ironclads were of the type I have already mentioned, but the expense of such vessels and the time required for their construction prevents the formation of modern fleets in a few years. During the Crimean War a wooden line of-battle ship had been