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THE MARITIME DEFENCES.

Portsmouth, 22d March. Sia—Agreeing as I do with much that your correspondent on the Maxi- time Defences has advanced, and allowing Out he has given a very accurate statement of our available force at the time of the Walewski's letter, I think some parts of his letter are erroneous and as the majority of your readers are probably not versed in naval matters, perhaps you will allow me to state my ideas on the subject.

Since the beginning of this year, we have been in a state of transition ; substituting efficient screw line-of-battle ships for the block-ships which were at the head of the different steam reserves, and distributing these block-ships round the coast, at the stations of the coast-defences, the men of which would fill up their complements when required.

These arrangements are completed, and in another fortnight we shall have the following 60-gun steam block-ships at their posts, from which they could concentrate on any point in from forty-eight to ninety-six hours.

We have in addition to these the following heavy line-of-battle ships.

At Portsmouth, I rittlitethraiVgiiellington 131,

Plymouth ....Exmouth 91, All screws. Sheerness ....Cressy 80,

Cork Nile 91,

I have only taken the screw line-of-battle ships as they are at this mo- ment; but there 'will be another at Plymouth, most likely the Royal Albert 131, when she arrives from the Mediterranean to replace the Royal William sailing three-decker.

Now comes the question of manning these fire ships at a moment's notice ; and we may assume that they have 200 men now on board—leaving 4000 more to be got together. The riggers at the different dockyards

all sailors 394

Excellent, gunnery-ship 300 Cambridge, ditto 300

Marine Artillery 1,000 Marines—Portsmouth „ 500 Plymouth 500 1 All exercised at „ Chatham 500 ship-guns.

Woolwich 500 3,994

I have not included the Coast-Guard men, or the men in the Royal Yacht, or the Flag-ships at the different ports; but I merely wish to show, that in three days certainly, we could have five heavy screw line-of-battle ships, and ten block-ships„ fully manned, concentrated in the English Channel.

I quite agree with your correspondent, that nothing could be worse than entering men for a fixed period, with a view of forming a standing navy, and discharging the whole of them, from a false economy, just as they are getting into good training and likely to be useful. With regard to the French "inscription maritime," it is no deubt a good system, but I cannot agree that it gave them any advantage at the be- ginning of the late war. Our fleet of fifteen sail of the tide was in the Baltic at the end of April, and had been at Spithead from ale beginning of March. The French fleet was represented by one line-of-battle ship, (I think the Austerlitz) and it was not before the Win June that the French fleet was assembled in the Baltic. I do not ?tate this as at all derogatory to the French navy, but I well recollect that it was said at the tune, that the French Go- vernment had told mire that they had no ships ready, and if they had that they had no wen to put in them. Cherbourg is rather a delicate question to discuss, but I may say, that although there is plenty of space to congre- gate a large number of ships, I by no means think they would lie there with impunity. I am, Sir, yours very obediently,

J. HODWEINSON, Gamniander R. N.