Should The Most Powerful Vessel Afloat, After A Long Cruise During Which
She Has Encountered Head-Winds And Weather That
Had caused delay and a
great consumption of fuel, be reduced to only a few hours' steaming, she
would be
At the mercy of an inferior antagonist whose bunkers might be
well filled. The commerce and the colonies of Great Britain demand the
presence of our vessels in every sea; the greater part of that enormous
carrying-power is now represented by steamers which have replaced the
sailing-vessels of old: therefore in the event of war we must possess
coaling-depots which in case of necessity could meet the demands of any
of our ships, whether naval or commercial.
The attention of the usually far-seeing public is seldom directed to
this important question of coaling-stations, but an examination of a
recently constructed globe will discover the apparently insignificant
red dots which represent the dominant power of England in every portion
of the world. The smallest island may become the most impregnable and
important coaling-depot. It is the fashion for some modern reformers
(happily few) to suggest a curtailment of the British Empire, on the
principle that "by pruning we should improve the strength of the
national tree." If there are rotten boughs, or exhausting and useless
shoots, the analogy might be practical; but if we examine carefully a
map of the world it would puzzle the Royal Geographical Society to
determine the point that we should abandon.
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