its stations at Isle of Grain, Calshot, Felixstowe, Yarmouth, Fort George, and Dundee, and its airships at Farnborough and Kingsnorth. Since that time development has been enormous, and there is now the Fifth Sea Lord at the Admiralty charged with supervision of the Royal Naval Air Service, and representing it on the Air Board. What establishments the Naval Air Service has now one may not say.

When the Germans arrived on the Belgian coasts, the Naval Air Service became very active in 'spotting' for the guns of the monitors; and they made a methodical photographic survey of the entire coast from Nieuport to the Dutch frontier, from a height of about 12,000 feet, correcting it by constant observation as the enemy developed his earthworks and mounted his guns, and in despite of hostile aeroplanes and shells. Since that time naval seaplanes and aeroplanes have frequently made bombing expeditions to Zeebrugge and other places, flying mostly at night. Early in April last attacks were made on ammunition dumps at Ghent and Bruges by seaplanes of the Royal Naval Air Service. Later in the same month three naval machines bombed German destroyers off Zeebrugge and it was believed sank one of them. How the Air Service began its work has been described in an amusing fashion by a semi-official scribe; and, because it illustrates both the work and the character of the naval flying officers, an extract shall be given here:

"I can't see where they're pitching," said the Navy-thatFloats, referring to the shells of the monitors bursting twelve miles away. "What about spotting for us, old son?" "That will I do," replied the Navy-that-Flies. "And more also. But I shall have to wear khaki, because it's done out here; by everybody, apparently. Also I must have the right machines, and lots of 'em."

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"Wear anything you like," replied the Navy-that-Floats, as long as you help us to hit those shore batteries. Onlybecause you wear khaki and see life, don't forget you're still the same old Navy, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be."

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The Navy-that-Flies added "Amen," and said that it wouldn't forget.

'It garbed itself in khaki [the Royal Naval Air Service does not habitually wear khaki], but retained the ring and

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curl on the sleeve, and the naval cap (with the eagle's wings in place of the crown and anchor in the badge), plus a khaki cap-cover. Wherever its squadrons were based they rigged a flagstaff and flew the White Ensign at the peak. They erected wooden huts and painted them Service grey, labelling them "Mess-deck," Wardroom," Gun-room," etc., as the case might be. They divided the flights into port and starboard watches, and solemnly asked leave to “ go ashore" for recreation. Those who strayed from the same stern paths of discipline suffered the same punishments as the Navy-thatFloats. And at the conclusion of each day's work the Wardroom dined, and drank to their King, sitting, according to the custom and tradition of the naval service.'

For water-tube boilers distilled water is necessary; and distilling ships, provided with extensive condensing and pumping plant, are employed to supply vessels at sea. Colliers, which once were the uncomfortable attendants on fleets to supply them with fuel, are now partially displaced owing to the introduction of ships driven entirely or in part by oil. Tank-vessels and oilers of special classes are now required for the service of the Fleet and of the destroyers and other flotillas. A great revolution has been made in the life and work of the Navy by the substitution of liquid fuel for coal. Fleets and vessels are now in a larger degree independent of dockyards and ports, since vessels can often be provided with oil pumped by powerful plant into their tanks and double-bottoms by sea-going oil-depôt ships. The Germans have found considerable advantage in this, for any innocent-looking neutral can pump oil into a submarine.

If the mother-ships of the flotillas may be described as little floating dockyards, the term may be applied in a larger sense to the workshop or repair ships. A dozen years ago, the necessity of building craft of this class was foreseen. They were designed with the purpose, partly of making less necessary an extensive engineering repair plant in battleships and large cruisers, but mainly with the object of decreasing the dependence of fleets and squadrons upon the dockyards. These floating factories carry a large and powerful engineering workshop plant; and there are few repairs which they cannot undertake at need. The store-ships of the Navy transport every imaginable kind of store required by

warships and their personnel; and the ordnance vessels are specially fitted for the transport and supply of warlike stores. It will be seen that these and other classes of ships are essential parts of the naval organisation. We hear nothing of them in the war, but they carry on an immense and indispensable toil for the Navy.

We may turn now to the great work of the Mercantile Marine and the Fisheries. Some may question whether they are rightly described as a 'less-known element of the Navy.' They are certainly an element not always regarded as belonging to the Navy, but henceforward to be inalienably associated with it; and their work and service deserve to be placed on record. Without our Mercantile Marine the Navy, and indeed the nation, could not exist, said Sir John Jellicoe at the Fishmongers' Hall in January. We had been dependent upon our merchantmen for the movement of our troops oversea. Over seven millions of men had been transported, together with all the guns, munitions, and stores required by the Army. The safeguarding of these transports from attack had been carried out by the Navy; but we had had to draw upon the personnel of the Mercantile Marine, not only for the manning of the transports, but also very largely for the manning of the whole of the patrol and mine-sweeping craft. Nearly 2,500 skippers were employed as 'skippers R.N.R.' The number of Royal Naval Reserve executive officers had increased almost fourfold since the outbreak of war. As Sir John remarked,

'It is impossible to measure fully the debt which the country owes to our mercantile marine. In the old days it used to be said that there was jealousy between the Mercantile Marine and the Royal Navy; but, whatever may have been the case then, there is no room now in the Navy for anything but the most sincere admiration and respect for the officers and men of the Mercantile Marine. I think I know sufficient of those officers and men to believe that the feeling is reciprocated. Those of us who have been closely associated with the officers and men who man our armed merchant vessels and patrol craft have realised from the first day of the war how magnificent were their services, how courageous their conduct, and how unflinching their devotion to duty under the most dangerous conditions. The value of the services of the

officers and men of the Mercantile Marine goes also far beyond their work in armed vessels. When one thinks of the innumerable cases of unarmed ships being sunk by torpedo or gun fire far from land, in a heavy sea, with the ship's company dependent upon boats alone for their safety, one is lost in admiration of the spirit of heroism of those who not only endure dangers and hardships without complaint, but are ever ready to take the risks again and again in repeated voyages in other ships.'

Reference has already been made to the Destroyer Patrols which are ever watching our coasts, patrolling the seas, looking for enemy vessels, and hastening to the aid of ships which, attacked or sinking, make their wireless call. Many hundreds of ships, taken for the Mercantile Marine and the Fisheries, steam yachts and vessels of various classes, motor boats and armed motor launches, are employed in similar work. They share the trials of war, wind and weather with the regular naval patrols. The King has paid noble tributes to the officers and men of the Mercantile Marine who have done so much for England. Sir Edward Carson, First Lord of the Admiralty, speaking at the Aldwych Club, directed the attention of the country to the magnificent work performed by the mine-sweepers of the auxiliary patrols. He spoke of the growth of the force employed in these operations from the beginning of the war, when something like 150 small vessels were engaged in patrol work, to the numbers now employed, which had increased to over 3000. He said he wished the whole nation could understand what mine-sweepers were doing.

'The thousands of men engaged in this operation are the men who are feeding the whole population of this country, from morning till night, battling with the elements as well as the enemy, facing dangers under the sea. A mine-sweeper carries his life in his hands at every moment, and he does it willingly.

Largely composed of men of the Mercantile Marine or of fishermen, they have carried out their perilous work under all conditions of weather and frequently under fire. They have been constantly patrolling and sweeping estuaries and channels, a single patrol gathering up the strange harvest of as many as twelve horned mines within a week. They have laid out, examined and Vol. 228.-No. 452.

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extended nets and other defences. They have escorted vessels through mine-fields and boarded vessels to examine them. They have controlled the movements of shipping and the lighting of coasts. They have reported and encountered enemy airships. They have also constantly been employed in the perilous work of dealing with the enemy's submarines, a certain number of which they have destroyed. They have worked in reliefs day and night at sea, though sometimes driven to port by the fury of the elements. As Admiral Bacon has said, in reference to the security with which thousands of merchantmen had passed through the waters in his control, 'no figures could emphasise more thoroughly the sacrifice made by the personnel of the patrols, and the relative immunity ensured to the commerce of their country.'

The archives of the Admiralty will yet make known the many services of the auxiliary patrols. One incident, in which an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve displayed fine seamanship in the saving of life, may be recorded here. It was on the north-east coast, in March 1917, when a furious gale was blowing which had driven the trawlers and drifters to ports, except one that foundered in the heavy sea, with the loss of several of her men. A message was received that a French barque in distress, at first conjectured to have been attacked by a submarine, was being towed to port by another vessel, but with little hope of saving her. Destroyers and drifters, braving the fury of the storm, though a neighbouring lifeboat at a port on an exposed part of the coast was unable to put to sea, went to her assistance. The towing vessel had sprung a leak, and, being herself in danger, had had to cast off her charge. The barque had anchored on a rocky lee shore, but was swept by the seas and drifting to destruction, for her anchors would not hold. The rescuers bore down towards her, in imminent peril of collision, standing on and off, and made repeated efforts to pass a tow line on board, which at last was accomplished by means of a rocket. But the barque's windlass broke, and she was washed by tremendous seas from stem to stern and was evidently doomed to destruction. Finally the skilful seamen-using oil-bags to still the waves-succeeded in rescuing every man on board the