Thanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are digitized we are able to read books that are some times for decades no longer available for the public for several reasons. That is quite a pity while these books contains useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete or nor accessible.
P. 444: “The construction of five new vessels of war has been commenced in different ports of France, viz., a frigate of the third class, a corvette of the first class, a steam-corvette of the first class of 400 horse-power, and two advice boats of the first-class, of 200 horse-power. The number of vessels at present on the stocks is 48: viz., 20 men-of-war, 19 frigates, 5 corvettes, and 4 first-class brigs. The oldest man-of-war on the effective list of the French navy is the Ocean, of 120 guns, which was launched in 1790; the next is the Marengo, of 82 guns, launched on the 12th October, 1810, in presence of the Emperor. Six other men-of-war were built in the time of the Empire, and all the others are of a more recent date. The marine department has just struck out of the lists, as unfit for service, 2 men-of-war, 3 corvettes, 2 brigs, 3 advice-boats, 1 schooner, 1 chebec, 1 transport, and 2 steamers.”
Source
Colburns’s United Service Magazine and Naval and Military Journal. London, 1851, part III.
