Page:The Development of Navies During the Last Half-Century.djvu/308

 100 ft. long, steamed out to the Black Sea in 1880 by herself. She has been followed by others of slightly larger dimensions.

In viewing the development of their navies by the different maritime states it is curious to observe how their relative positions have been altered since the beginning of the century. In some instances less than half a century has sufficed to place a country in the foremost rank. Such an example we have in Italy. No country has shown such boldness, originality, and energy in the creation of her fleet. The lesson at Lissa was only an incentive to renewed exertion, and to-day she can justly boast of being able to place in the line of battle a squadron which only two nations of the world can surpass. Yet this has been the work of only twenty years. The earlier ironclads of Italy were those I have enumerated as taking part in the action off Lissa. Then after 1870 two were commenced, the 'Duilio' and 'Dandolo,' similar in design to our 'Inflexible.' They were the first to carry afloat guns of 100 tons, two of which were placed in each of the turrets. They were muzzle-loaders, and made by Armstrong’s firm at Elswick. One of these vessels was designed to carry a torpedo boat in a compartment of the stern to which the sea had access. It was a floating boathouse from which the parasite could emerge when desired, and be received back into it when her mission was accomplished. The idea was original but not practical, and it was soon found that at sea getting the boat in and out safely was