Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Lately Published
- LETTER I To the Count Jules de Béthizy
- LETTER II To the Abbate Giromachi
- LETTER III To the Same
- LETTER IV To the Count Jules de Béthizy
- LETTER V To the Baron Von Kemperfelt
- LETTER VI To the Abbate Giromachi
- LETTER VII To the Same
- LETTER VIII To the Count Jules de Béthizy
- LETTER IX To the Professor Christian Jansen
- LETTER X To Sir Edward Waller, Bart
- LETTER XI To the Same
- LETTER XII To the Professor Jansen
- LETTER XIII To the Count Jules de Béthizy
- LETTER XIV To the Abbate Giromachi
- LETTER XV To the Professor Christian Jansen
- LETTER XVI To Sir Edward Waller, Bart
- LETTER XVII To the Same
- LETTER XVIII To the Same
- LETTER XIX To the Count Jules de Béthizy
- LETTER XX To the Same
- LETTER XXI To Sir Edward Waller, Bart
- NOTES
LETTER V - To the Baron Von Kemperfelt
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Lately Published
- LETTER I To the Count Jules de Béthizy
- LETTER II To the Abbate Giromachi
- LETTER III To the Same
- LETTER IV To the Count Jules de Béthizy
- LETTER V To the Baron Von Kemperfelt
- LETTER VI To the Abbate Giromachi
- LETTER VII To the Same
- LETTER VIII To the Count Jules de Béthizy
- LETTER IX To the Professor Christian Jansen
- LETTER X To Sir Edward Waller, Bart
- LETTER XI To the Same
- LETTER XII To the Professor Jansen
- LETTER XIII To the Count Jules de Béthizy
- LETTER XIV To the Abbate Giromachi
- LETTER XV To the Professor Christian Jansen
- LETTER XVI To Sir Edward Waller, Bart
- LETTER XVII To the Same
- LETTER XVIII To the Same
- LETTER XIX To the Count Jules de Béthizy
- LETTER XX To the Same
- LETTER XXI To Sir Edward Waller, Bart
- NOTES
Summary
Washington, as it contains all the public offices, is the best place to ascertain the general statistical facts connected with the condition of this country. I have hitherto purposely avoided touching on the marine of the United States, until I should have an opportunity of getting the information necessary to do it justice. On no occasion, however, have I neglected to examine the ships and the navy yards as I passed through the sea ports, though I have reserved all my remarks until I had something material to communicate. It is my intention to dispose of the subject altogether in this letter.
Until the period of the war which separated the two countries, the American mariners performed most of their military service in the navy of Great Britain. The history of the colonies, however, is not altogether destitute of nautical incidents, that were rather remarkable for skill and enterprise. The privateers of this hemisphere were always conspicuous in the colonial contests; and they were then, as they have always been since, of a character for order and chivalry that ought not to be too confidently expected from a class of adventurers who professedly take up arms for an object so little justifiable, and perhaps so ignoble, as gain. But men of a stamp altogether superior to the privateersmen of Europe were induced, by the peculiar situation of their country, to embark in these doubtful military enterprises in America.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Notions of the AmericansPicked Up by a Travelling Bachelor, pp. 79 - 121Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009