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’s quite a pity while these
books contains useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete
or nor accessible. In his book for politicians and merchants Martin described
all the countries part of the so-called civilised world. If available he
published information dealing with the armed forces and the merchant trade
shipping.
p. 471. “The naval force of Norway consists of three
steam-frigates, of 41 and 50 guns, eight steam corvettes, of 14 guns each, and
127 gunboats. In the session of 1866, the ‘Storthing’ resolved to raise the
navy to 156 vessels of war, with 500 guns, and 4,000 men, exclusive of the
naval reserve. The navy is manned by conscription. All sea-faring men and
inhabitants of seaports, between the ages of thirty and sixty, are enrolled on
the lists of either the active fleet or the naval militia. The numbers on the
lists amount to above 50,000 men.”
Source
F. Martin. The Statesman’s Year-book. A statistical,
mercantile, and historical account of the states and sovereigns of the
civilised world. A manual for politicians and merchants for the year 1868.
London, 1868.
