(This class contains small steamers, tugs, floating barracks, and pilot vessels. The whole number on the list is eighteen.)

Of the armoured vessels on the above list only two, the "Hansa " and "Prinz Adalbert," are of wood. The others are built of iron, and in their construction nearly all the most recent improvements in iron war-ship building have been introduced. Few, if any, of them, however, have the longitudinal bulkhead dividing the boilers, which has been adopted in the later English armoured ships. The most powerful vessels have been built in England, but the Vulcan Company's Works near Stettin, as well as the Government yards, are capable of turning out formidable vessels. The "Grosser Kurfürst," for instance, was built at Wilhelmshaven. Great efforts have been made to increase the capabilities of the steam factories and engine works of the country, so that the Empire should be no longer dependent, as it has been, upon foreign manufacturers for the supply of machinery for even the largest ships. A recent statement has been published to the effect that this is now the case, and that the Imperial Navy will no longer have to look abroad for engines for its vessels of any class.

The want of properly qualified seamen for both the Government Service and the mercantile marine having been felt for some time past in Germany, efforts have been made by private persons interested in the shipping trade to establish training vessels for boys with a view to their becoming apprentices to the seaman's calling. These efforts have been encouraged by the Government, which naturally sees in them a probability of strengthening considerably the available Naval Reserve, all the seafaring population being liable to service in the Imperial Navy.

The ships in commission are distributed over four foreign stations as well as the home waters. These stations are— -(1.) the Mediterranean, with four vessels, under the command of a Post-Captain as Squadron-Commander; (2.) the China, or East Asiatic station, with six vessels; (3.) the South Pacific, with two; and (4.) the Western

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Atlantic, with one. Other vessels, as appears from the list of the Navy given above, are making detached cruizes in foreign waters. At home there are two sea-going ironclads in commission. It has for some years past been customary to assemble a squadron of armoured ships for exercise in various evolutions and manoeuvres each summer, and keeping them together till the early autumn, when the ships are laid up. CYPRIAN A. G. BRIDGE, Captain.

THE RUSSIAN NAVY IN 1877.

(Translated from the Révue Maritime, April, 1878.)

AT the moment of the declaration of war the Russian Baltic Fleet was still imprisoned in its harbours by thick ice. Political circumstances did not allow any active participation on its part in the war to be foreseen; it was only equipped for a single cruise of the ordinary kind, and its resources, in any case, would but suffice to recruit the detachments of seamen required on the Danube. In the Black Sea there were only circular ironclads, intended especially for coast defence, some old lightly-armed corvettes, and a few steamers, to which were added vessels of high speed belonging to the Russian Company. The latter craft were armed with guns, furnished with torpedoes, and converted into a special type of vessel for active defence. Amongst them were the Emperor's yacht "Livadia," the "Elborous," the " Eriklike," the " Argonaute," the "Vesta," the "Grand Duke Constantine,' the "Vladimir," the "Rossia," &c. The command of the whole naval force in the Black Sea was entrusted to Aide-de Camp General Arkass, who, on May 22nd (N.S.), hoisted his flag on board the "Elborous," but Rear-Admiral Tchikatcheff (of the Emperor's Household) was charged to organize, with two Popoffkas and some small vessels, the defence of Odessa from the sea. Also, at the end of the year 1876, some steam launches and rowboats, and everything necessary to lay down lines of torpedoes, were sent from Cronstadt to Kischeneff for the Danube. The assistance of the Roumanian flotilla, which consisted of four steamers, viz., the "Stefano-al-Mare,” Romania," "Fould-jeroul," and "Rindourika," was counted on; as also was the use of small river steamboats belonging to private persons. Such were the resources against the formidable Turkish fleet which might appear in the Black Sea, and against the Turkish Danube flotilla.

The Russian ships which, at the time mentioned, were in foreign waters, were at New York, Rear-Admiral J. J. Boutakoff's division, composed of the "Svetland" frigate, under the command of His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch, the corvettes "Askold" and "Bogatyr," and the clipper "Kreicer"; at San Francisco, Rear-Admiral Pousino's division, composed of the

corvette "Bayan," the clippers "Vsadnik" and "Abrek," the schooners "Vostock," "Ermake," and "Toungouse." the sloop "Hornstai," and the transport "Japonetz." In the Mediterranean were, at Spezia, the armoured frigate "Petropaulosk," and at the Piræus, the schooner "Kelasom." The clipper "Haydamak" and the sloop "Morje" were on the coast of China. None of these vessels, dispersed through different seas, could take part in the present

war.

The disproportion of force indicated above being such, the part played by the Russian seamen might seem to have been necessarily a passive one; however, it was not so. Boats with steam power and oars, provided with torpedoes, soon succeeded in attaining, by a series of brilliant exploits-on May 26th, under Doubasoff and Chestakoff; on June 20th, under Novikoff and Skridloff; and June 23rd, under Novikoff, Niloff, Arens, and others-an honourable place on the Danube, and in entirely paralyzing the Turkish flotilla, which was supposed to be so formidable. At the same time the few steamers of the active defence showed how ineffective was Hobart Pacha's blockade. On May 1st, at 10 P.M., the first attack with torpedoes was made at Batoum, by the ship "Grand Duke Constantine," under the command of Lieutenant (now Captain) Makaroff, and it was followed by a series of exploits which may be compared with those of the most brilliant period of any fleet.

It is absolutely impossible to enumerate all these exploits in a short article, and it will only be stated that, on the Danube, two armoured vessels and a steamer belonging to the Turks were blown up; the destruction of one of these, the armoured vessel " Loufti-Djeli," was due to the artillerymen of the land service. The Russians also took and repaired two armoured vessels, the "Nikopol" and "Sistova." The other ships of the Turkish flotilla, intimidated by the boldness of the torpedo attacks made by the Russians, kept at the small number of fortified places still occupied by the Turks, and did not venture to risk themselves on the waters of the wide river Danube. Such, on the Danube, were the chief results of the labours of the Russian seamen, who, since the early part of June, had been placed under the command of the former Captain of the "Svetland" frigate, His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch, who had returned from America on June 13th, and had almost immediately started for the Danube. On June 13th and 27th the Russian Army crossed the Danube at two points, at Brailoff and at Zimnitza near Sistova. From that moment the position of the small Russian flotilla on the Danube was assured, and there only remained for the sailors to complete what Doubasoff, Chestakoff, and others had begun.

In the Black Sea, as has been said above, the bold incursions of the torpedo boats began on May 13th, by an attack at Batoum. Subsequently there occurred: the expedition of June 10th to Sulina, under Pouchtchine and others; the expedition of July 15th and 21st, at Kilia and on the coast of Anatolia; the gallant action on July 23rd of the "Vesta," under the command of Lieutenant (now Captain of the 1st class, and Aide-de-Camp to the Emperor) Baranoff, with a

Turkish armoured vessel at Kustendje; the expedition of August 6th of the "Constantine" and "Eriklik" to Penderaclea; the passage by the flotilla and the Popoffkas of the mouth of the Kilia; the torpedo attack, on August 24th, at Soukhoum (ship "Constantine"); the reconnaissance of the "Livadia" at Varna and Kavarna; the transport on September 4th, by the steamers "Vesta" and " Vladimir," of the wounded from Hagre and Hagaoute to Novo-Rossinskoe; the attack of October 8th and 9th on Sulina, blowing up of the steamer Sulina"; the capture of a Turkish transport loaded with troops on December 25th, by the steamer "Rossia," under the command of Captain Baranoff, formerly commanding the "Vesta"; and a further attack with torpedoes made by the "Constantine" at Batoum, on December 27th.

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[The sum of the purely naval operations mentioned in the above account amounts to the following: the destruction of one armoured river gunboat and one steamer on the Danube by torpedoes; the recovery of two abandoned Turkish armoured gunboats on the same river; a running fight between the armed steamer "Vesta" and a Turkish armoured corvette; the capture of a troop-ship; one torpedo attack in which the "Sulina" steamer was blown up; and six torpedoexpeditions which seem to have been without result, none being mentioned. The strength of the Russian Navy, at the end of 1877, is given in the "Statesman's Year Book for 1878," as

I. The Baltic Fleet, consisting of 137 men-of-war, of which 27 were armoured vessels and 44 unarmoured steamers; II, the Black Sea Fleet of 31 men-of-war, comprising 2 armoured vessels and 11 unarmoured steamers; besides, III, the Caspian; and, IV, the Siberian squadrons. The Imperial Navy was commanded by 80 Flag Officers, 201 Captains, 98 Commanders, 746 Lieutenants, and 129 Midshipmen, besides the navigating, engineer, and other branches; the number of men was 25,101 (Almanach de Gotha). The naval expenditure (ordinary) is 25,038,381 roubles, equal to 3,500,000l.] Trans.

THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT IN THE FIELD.' PROFESSOR LONGMORE is well known both in Europe and America as a writer and teacher of military surgery, he has contributed largely to the literature of the subject in the Army medical reports and elsewhere, his "Ophthalmic Manual," is well known by medical Officers as a valuable aide-memoire, his treatise on ambulances is perhaps one of the most exhaustive of its kind ever published, and having acted for our Government as a delegate on various occasions at foreign exhibi

"Gunshot Injuries, their History, Features, and Treatment," by SurgeonGeneral J. Longmore, C.B., F.R.C.S. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1877. Price 31s. 6d. Size 9" x 6" x 2". Pp. 686. Weight 2 lbs. 15 ozs. "Kriegs-Sanitäts Ordnung," von 10 Januar, 1878. Berlin Mittler und Sohn. Price 58. Size 9" x 6" x 1". Pp. 611. Weight lb.

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VOL. XXII.

tions, he has had unusual opportunities for examining the equipment and organization of different continental armies. His latest work on gunshot injuries is a goodly sized volume. It must be looked upon as the outcome of more than a quarter of a century's constant study, and the ripe expression of opinions not lightly formed.

There is an idea abroad that there is nothing special in the knowledge that is required for the treatment of gunshot wounds. Professor Longmore is one of those who does not share this view, and he proves conclusively and in accordance with the dicta of such authorities as Baron Dupuytren and John Hunter, that the circumstances under which both surgeon and patient are placed during war are so widely different from what obtains in civil practice, that a careful special study aud training in many subjects not required in civil life, is absolutely indispensable for those who are to be entrusted with the care of our soldiers in the field.

The work divides itself naturally into three parts; the first deals more especially with the history and treatment of gunshot wounds, the second with field hospital organization, and the last is statistical. There are eleven sections in the first part. The first two sections treat of gunshot injuries and the causes which influence their nature, character, and ultimate issues, and the means by which they are produced. The various destructive elements employed in warfare are fully described in these sections, and illustrations of the various projectiles help the reader to form a just estimate of their destroying powers, while the density, velocity, and heat in determining their effects on the human body are fully considered. The difference between the injuries caused by round and conoidal bullets is dwelt on, and the superior destructive effects of the latter especially on the bony system is graphically depicted, the true nature and cause of the so called wind contusions are explained, and what may be termed the superstition regarding the poisonous effects of gunshot wounds effectually disposed of.

Section three deals with the characteristics and distinguishing signs of gunshot wounds; it is sometimes important in medico-legal cases to ascertain in a bullet wound which is the wound respectively of inlet and exit, it is not always easy to decide this point, and the circumstances which may determine a difference in the guiding marks are fully detailed.

If there be one thing more important than another in insuring the successful treatment of gunshot injuries, it is a due appreciation of the conditions of the tracks in the different parts of the body, caused by the passage of various missiles; the subject has received the full discussion that it deserves. Under Section four are considered the primary symptoms, and complications of gunshot wounds under which heads come pain, shock, primary hemorrhage, and the lodgment and concealment of foreign bodies. With regard to primary hemorrhage there is no doubt but that cases of this nature requiring the application of a tourniquet on the battle-field very seldom come within the observation of the military surgeon. Professor Longmore deals very cautiously with the question, but the foregoing is the general experience of