with unlawful nets, and other offences committed on the river Thames.

FUNDS OF THE SCHOOL. The expences of the fchool are not paid out of this revenue, but it is fupported folely by the following incidental funds, viz. money received for fhewing the hall, chapel, and other parts of the building; mulets, abfences, checques, &c. of the pentioners and the nurfes; profits on the provifions purchafed of the penfioners; fale of old houfehold ftores; and unclaimed property of deceafed penfioners and nurfes. Thefe funds have proved adequate to the expences of the establishment: and have produced a balance of favings invefted in the stocks.

CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT OF THE HOSPITAL. TWO commiffions relating to Greenwich hofpital were iffued by William, and in 1703 a third by Queen Anne, which directed that feven commiffioners fhould form a general court, whereof the lord high admiral, the lord treasurer, or any two privy counsellors fhould be a quorum; general courts were to be held quarterly; the governor and treasurer of the hofpital to be appointed by the crown, all the other officers by the lord high admiral, having been recommended to him by the general court: the fame commiffion appoints twenty-five directors to be a ftanding committee, to meet every fortnight; it vefts the internal regulation of the hofpital in the governor, and fuch a council of the officers as the lord high admiral shall appoint. Such has been the conflitution of the hofpital to the prefent day, warrants having been iffued from time to time by the admiralty for forming new councils, as the increafe of officers or other circumstances rendered it neceflary. New commiflions of the fame nature as that of Queen Anne were granted by George I. and George II; but it was not till the year 1775, that the commiffioners became a body corporate by a charter of George III., who granted powers to finish the building; to provide for feamen, either within or out of the hospital; to make bye laws, and for other purpofes. It is provided by the charter, that all the officers of the hofpital fhall be feafaring men; the office of the directors is defined to be, to infpect the carrying on of the buildings, to ftate the accounts, and to make contracts; and to place the boys out as apprentices. The internal regulation of the hofpital to be in the governor and council, as before mentioned. This charter was followed by an act of parliament, which vefted in the commiffioners thus incorporated, all the eftates held in truft for the benefit of the Hofpital.

PRINCIPAL OFFICERS. The principal officers of Greenwich

hospital,

hofpital, with their falaries, are as follow: a governor, 1000l.; lieutenant-governor, 400/.; four captains, 230l. each; eight lieutenants, 1157. each; a treasurer, 2007.; fecretary, 160/. auditor, Iool.; two chaplains, 130l. each; a phyfician, 1827. 10s.; furgeon, 150/.; fteward, 160l.; clerk of the checque, 160/.; furveyor, 200/.; clerk of the works, 917. 55.; befides affiftants and a great number of inferior officers. The officers are allowed, in addition to their falaries, a certain quantity of coals and candles, and fourteen pence a day in lieu of diet.

THE CEMETERY. In 1707, a piece of ground, lying on the caft fide of Greenwich park, 660 feet in length, and 132 in breadth, was given by Prince George of Denmark, to the hofpital for the burial ground. In has been long difufed; another parcel of ground, containing about two acres and a half, having been appropriated for that purpose in 1749.

CHEST. The explanation of this institution is already given in describing the deduction of fixpence per month from the pay of each mariner, which is made by authority of parliament for the fupport of those who are paft fervice. This admirable inftitution originated in 1588, on the fuggeftion of Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Hawkins, and fome other public spirited commanders. The establishment, or cheft, was kept at first at Chatham, and is most generally known by that defcription, but it has been removed to Greenwich. The duties relating to it are executed by fupervifors, confifting of the first lord of the admiralty for the time being, the comptroller of the navy, and the governor and auditor of Greenwich hofpitai; to whom are added five directors, with a fecretary, accountant, and other officers.

OTHER CHARITABLE ESTABLISHMENTS. Befides this great national fund for relief, there are many lefs public establishments for the benefit of the navy. Alms-houfes are provided in various parts of the kingdom to afford them retreats; a fociety was formed, in 1793, for relief of the widows of failors and foldiers; in 1804, another arofe under the care and patronage of their royal highneffes the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Clarence, and feveral other members of the royal family, called the naval afylum for the maintenance and education of the orphans of failors and marines; and there is an establishment called the naval knights of Windfor, of which the following account is given. Agreeably to the will of S. Travers, Efq. in the year 1724, feven old and infirm lieutenants, fingle and without children, were to be chofen naval knights of Windfor, each to have an apartment near the castle, and 60l. per annum, exclufive of the half pay, and the fenior lieutenant to have 12/. per annum extra. They are not entitled to fuperannuation, The whole to be paid out

of two eftates in Effex. The above bequest took effect November 27th, 1795, being the day his majefty figned the warrants, and feven gentlemen were appointed. When there are vacancies, lieutenants wishing to fill them muft apply, with a teftimonial of their qualifications, to the navy board, that one may be recommended to the admiralty. By the above will, thirtyfeven fons of naval officers, from feven to twelve years of age, are admitted into the mathematical fchool of Chrift's hofpital, London. Sons of commiffioned officers are preferred to thofe of warrant officers. The application is by petition to the go

vernors.

TRANSPORT SERVICE. Returning to fome further duties in which portions of the navy are occafionally engaged, it is neceffary to mention the transport service, or the duty of supplying veffels and accommodations for troops ordered abroad on garrifon or colony duty, or on expeditions. As fhips for this exprefs fervice cannot always be maintained by government, they are frequently hired by contract from merchants or other proprietors, and, failing under the protection of king's fhips, are called tranfports. They are laden with troops, both cavalry and infantry, with their horfes, artillery, baggage, field equipage, and all other requifites for the fervice about which they are to be employed.

TRANSPORT OFFICE. This bufinefs is managed by four commiffioners who have each 1000l. per annum, and under them are accountants, clerks, and other inferior officers, and they have agents ftationed at moft of the principal ports in Great Britain and abroad.

PRISONERS. One great department in this office is the fuperintendance, cuftody, and care of prifoners of war, which has been tranferred to them from the fick and hurt office. The duty of this branch is to provide proper places of confinement, provifions, bedding and neceffaries, for prifoners of war; to negotiate their exchange, carry the fame into effect, by tranfporting them to the dominions of their respective fovereigns, and to bring back British prifoners in return; to pay all expences attending such services; and examine and pass the accounts of all perfons employed in the execution thereof. They are also occafionally to vifit the feveral prifons, to fee that no abuses are committed, and the ftanding regulations properly attended to; to hear and redress grievances, and examine and país accounts relative to this and the other parts of the fervice. Agents for prifoners are alfo eftablifhed in all proper places.

OFFICE. The tranfport office is in Dorfet-fquare, Weft

minster.

CONVOY. The right of a fovereign to prevent any of his fubjects

fubjects from incurring the danger of being captured by an enemy, even though defire of gain, or want of judgment, fhould render them unmindful of the peril, is evident, and the only effectual way of infuring this end at fea, is by the appointment of ships of force to accompany mercantile fquadrons, for their protection. So long ago as the year 1336, Edward I. ordered that the merchant veffels fhould proceed on their voyages in large bodies for mutual fafeguard, and on feveral fubfequent occafions, he appointed armed convoys. In fucceeding ages, this wholefome practice was continued and improved; but still the hope of extraordinary gain, from an opportune arrival and an expeditious voyage, rendered many indifferent to danger, and it was common in time of war to run it, as it was called, the profit forming a great allurement, and the fhip being still infurable, though at an advanced premium. In 1798, parliament thinking it neceffary to abolish this practice, prohibited ships from failing without convoy, except in certain cafes. The commander of every veffel failing under the protection of a convoy is required to ufe his beft endeavours to continue with the convoy; and if he fails without, or wilfully feparates from the protecting fhip during the paffage, without leave obtained from the commanding officer of the convoy, he shall forfeit 10bol., or, if naval ftores form any part of his cargo, 1500l.; but the courts are authorized to mitigate these penalties in their difcretion, fo as not to bring them below 50l. Moreover, all policies of infurance, wherein the commander failing without convoy, or deferting convoy, or any perfon interested in the veffel directing, or being inftrumental in, fuch desertion of convoy, is concerned, are declared null and void; and every underwriter making any fettlement on fuch a policy forfeits 200% The officers of the customs are alfo directed not to clear out any veffel, till the commander give bond with proper fecurity not to fail without, nor to defert, his convoy at fea Vessels not required to be registered, those licensed by the admiralty to fail without convoy, or proceeding with due diligence to join a convoy, or bound to or from Ireland, or from any one port to another within Great Britain, thofe in the fervice of the East India company, the Hudfon's Bay company, and in ballaft, are exempted from the obligations and penalties of this act. Neither are fhips, coming from foreign parts, where no convoy may have been appointed, liable to trouble or cenfure for failing without one. Every commander of a merchant vessel is required to provide proper flags, vanes, and other articles neceflary for making fignals; to have a board ftuck up in a convenient place on board, containing that part of the act, 33 Geo. III. c. 66, for manning the navy, &c. which makes cap

tains of merchant fhips under convoy liable to be articled in the high court of admiralty, for difobeying fignals or deferting convoy; and, in cafe of being boarded by an enemy, to destroy all'inftructions relating to the convoy. It was in confideration of this additional protection, that the tax already mentioned, called convoy duty, was impofed.

Commanders are to

DUTY OF THE SHIPS CONVOYING. give inftructions to their convoy; and to fend a lift of them to the fecretary of the admiralty before they fail. They are to receive no gratification; to keep in fight of, and protect the fhips; to inform against mafters who mifbehave, and to wear a toplight. The commander in chief may order his fignals to be repeated by other fhips under his command, if he thinks fit. Different convoys are to keep company, as long as their courses lie together; and, on thofe occafions, the eldett commander of a convoy is fuperior. Commanders of different convoys are to wear lights, and repeat fignals, as flag officers. Convoys are to fail like divifions: and fignals are to be made at feparation. Commanders of convoys are to take under their care ships of his majefty's allies or friends.

TRINITY HOUSE. Several establishments and regulations of the utmost importance to the navy are under the guardianfhip of the corporation of the Trinity Houfe, of which, and its dependent charities, the following is an account. The fociety of the Trinity Houfe was founded at Deptford in 1515, by Sir Thomas Spert, knight, commander of the great fhip Henry Grace de Dieu, and comptroller of the navy to Henry VIII. for the regulation of feamen, and the convenience of thips and mariners on the coaft, and incorporated by the above-mentioned prince, who confirmed to them, not only the rights and privileges of the company of mariners of England, but their feveral poffeffions at Deptford, which, together with the grants of queen Elizabeth and Charles II. were alfo confirmed by letters patent of the firft of James II. in the year 1685, by the name of "the_master, "wardens, and affiftants of the guild or fraternity of the moft "glorious and undivided Trinity, and of St. Clements in the parish of Deptford Strond, in the county of Kent." This corporation is governed by a mafter, four wardens, eight affiftants, and eighteen elder brothers; but the inferior members of the fraternity, named younger brethren, are of an unlimited number; for every mafter or mate, expert in navigation, may be admitted as fuch; and thefe ferve as a continual nursery to fupply the vacancies among the elder brethren when removed by death or otherwife. The mafter, wardens, afsistants, and elder brethren, are by charter invefted with the following powers: that of examining the mathematical children of Chrift's Hof