"FIGHTING BOB." 243 thus clearing the way for the fleet. Some of these dynamite guns have been mounted in England in the coast defences. They are said to be somewhat unreliable as to range and accuracy of aim.

seen hard fighting in the Civil War. Dewey, who commanded the eastern squadron;Sampson, who commandedthe Atlantic fleet;Roblev Evans, his second in command; andSchley, of the flying squadron, had all served under Farragut. Sampson as a youngnaval lieutenant had seen hardfighting in the Civil War. He was withFarragut when the fleet steamed boldlyin against the exploding mines inMobile Bay, and at Charleston his own ship had been blown up by a torpedo,and he had escaped death almost byamiracle. A scientific officer of high attainments, he had borne a leading part in the development of the new navy of the United States, and for some years badbeen chief of the The old monitors, detailed for service 'in harbour defence on the outbreak of war, were small ships built during the Civil War in the 'sixties, and carrying old-fashionedsmooth-bore guns in lightly-armoured turrets. A number of armed tugs, yachts, and revenue cruisers formed with these the coast defence flotilla.

Two battleships, the Kentucky and the Kcarsargc,larger and more powerful than the Iowa, werelaunched just before the war ; a third, the Alabama, shortly after it OrdnanceCommittee which designed and tested the formidable artillery with which it was armed. Dewev had forty years of service to his credit, and had had hisfirst practical lessons in warfare when Farragut forced the entrance of the Mississippi, andcompelled the surrender of Xew Orleans. Robley Evans, a younger man than either of these, was the ideal type of the American naval officer. He was familiarly known to his comrades as " Fighting Bob,'' but, unlike Sheridan's hero, he had won the soubriquet began. But none of them could be ready for service before six or eight months' hard work had been done upon them, so that they only constituted a reserve in the event of the war being very much prolonged.

The UnitedStates had at theoutsetsomei-f.oooofficers and men available for the fleet, besides between two and three thousand naval militia of varying efficiency for the coast defence flotilla. The men were about 60 per cent.Americans,andthe rest were recruited from half " FIGHTIN0110H "— CAIT.KOliLEV EVANS.

by reckless valour,not byboastful words. Evans had seen some service as an ensign— or,as we would say,a secondlieutenant— in the CivilWar, where his great opportunity of distinction came on the day that the navy was asked to supply the forlornhope for the storming of Fort Fishc-I - volunteered for the dangerous enterprise, ami was given the iommand of the gallant band ofbluejackets that led thecolumnof assault. The fort was taken, and after the Stars andStripeshad been hoisted on the Confederate works, Evans was found, under a heap of dead, so grievously wounded that at first his case was supposed to be hopeless. When he recovered consciousness he was told that oneof his legs must be amputated if he was to have any chance of recovery. His pistol was still in his belt,and he declared that he would shoot the first surgeon that touched him, unless they promised that there should be noamputation. His fear wasthat the loss of a leg would mean that he would never the nations of Europe, many of them deserters from other navies, attracted by the- higher pay and easier conditions of the United States service. The crews were mostly recruited by voluntary enlistment on a three years' engagement, which could be renewed. There were a few whohad been educated for the nav\ a- boys intraining ships. A good many of the captains of guns had seen service in the British navy-Until the war became imminent, there were a certain number of Spaniards in the American fleet ; they were released from their engagements at the last moment. Official American reports dating from before the war complain of want of strict discipline on some of the ships, and it must be granted that to train crews recruited from such diverse sources if no easy task.

The officers whodo this work are a splendid bodyof men. All have received a careful professional education. Theolder amongthem had