arged with the annoyance of our West
Indian Islands and the destruction of their commerce; and the remaining
two were to scour the coasts of South America. A separate and formidable
establishment of screw-frigates was to have for its head-quarters a port
of refuge to be constructed in Madagascar, whence operations were to be
directed in all quarters against our East Indian possessions and their
extensive trade.

"In addition to these means," it was further said in the report, "the
Departmental Councils should each arm one steam-frigate, commanded by an
officer of the navy born in the department. The prizes captured by each
should in this case be at the disposal of the Departmental Councils, a
portion being devoted to defraying the expenses of the vessel, and the
remainder applied to the execution of public works within the
department." "As regards the defence of French ports, this may be best
effected by flat-bottomed hulks, armed with long-range guns adapted to
horizontal firing. The chances against invasion are greatly in favour of
France, on account of the superiority of her land force, and the
facility of transporting troops by railway to the locality attacked." "A
great point will be the perfect training of the French squadron by
annual evolutions, and with double or treble the requisite number of
officers. If these suggestions are carried out, France will establish at
sea what Russia has done on land, to the injury and restriction of
British commerce, which must be seriously damaged, without material harm
being done to ourselves. This loss of commerce will especially affect
the working classes of England, and thus bring about a democratic
inundation which will compel her to a speedy submission."

Those were the chief proposals of the secret memoir which, falling into
the hands of the British Government, so far alarmed it as to lead it to
call upon the Earl of Dundonald for his opinions as to the best way of
meeting the threatened danger. "This document," he wrote in his reply to
Lord Auckland, "describes a plan of maritime operations undoubtedly more
injurious to the interests of England than that pursued by France in
former wars. There is nothing new, however, in the opinions promulgated.
They have long been familiar to British naval officers, whose wonder has
been that the wide-spread colonial commerce of England has never yet
been effectually assailed. It is true that the advice given in the
memoir derives mor