Page:The child's pictorial history of England; (IA childspictorialh00corn).pdf/183

 first war that broke out was carried on entirely at sea. It was with the Spaniards, who had taken possession of a great part of South America, and, as they chose to keep all the trade to themselves, they had ships constantly sailing about, to prevent the ships of other nations coming there, which was all very fair; but not content with guarding their own possessions, they interfered with British merchants, who were going to or from other places, plundered some of their vessels, and behaved so ill, that the British government was obliged to declare war, and sent out a great many ships to fight the Spaniards.

14. I dare say you have heard stories about press-gangs taking away poor men against their will, to make sailors of them. This cruel expedient for getting plenty of sailors, was resorted to in all the wars during the reigns of George the Second and George the Third, when many a poor fellow, in going to or returning from his daily labor, was met by a party of armed men, called a press-gang, and carried off, by force, to a ship, without being allowed to go home, or take leave of his family. Such things ought not to be done in a free country, and I hope they never will be done again, even if we should have the misfortune to be at war.