P. 332: Part of the United States’
Navy is stationed at one end of Brooklyn : it is less considerable than at Charlestown, but this
station appears the more important of the two. Several menof-war and frigates
were laid up under covered buildings, and a few new ships of the latter
description were ready to be launched. The quantity of naval stores was also
consi-
p. 233: derable. It was
here that the steam-frigate Fulton
unfortunately exploded in 1829, by which accident many persons were killed. The
Americans have seven stations for their navy, viz. Portsmouth,
Charlestown, New York,
Philadelphia, Washington,
Norfolk, Pensacola.
The whole number of ships amounts to forty, seven of which are men-ofwar, ten
frigates, fifteen corvettes, and eight schooners. Of these, only twenty-one
were laid up in 1832: the remainder were in commission in the Mediterranean,
West Indies, South Seas, and Coast of Brazil. Five new ships and seven
frigates were, about this period, on the stocks. The United
States’
Navy is under the immediate direction of the Secretary of the Navy at Washington. The highest
rank in the service is that of captain or commodore: the question of appointing
admirals has been long agitated, but was not finally settled when I left America. Of
captains there are about forty belonging to the service, and their pay, when on
duty, is from two to three thousand dollars a year. The American naval officers
are in general perfect gentlemen. By being a great deal in active service, they
have seen much of the
p. 234: world, and, on
board their ships, or wherever they are met on shore, show a degree of tact and
good breeding, which redounds much to their credit. Like all seamen, they are
frank, liberal, and stanch in their friendships. I had frequent opportunities
of associating with some of these officers during my residence in America, and
still retain the highest respect for their merits, and gratitude for attentions
almost lavished upon me. A foreigner is never considered a stranger among them.
Their artless and upright manner of acting inspires confidence at once.
Rudeness and pride do not exist among them, from the youngest officer to the
commodore of a squadron. With such seamen, it is not surprising that the Navy
of the United States
gains daily more and more respect among other nations.
Source
Carl
David Arfwedson. The United States in 1832, 1833, and 1834, vol 1. London, 1834. Digitized by
Google.
