It is in vain to conceal from ourselves, that, unless both officers and men can be embodied more or less as a permanent corps, every ship that is commissioned merely furnishes a sort of fresh experiment in naval discipline.

The officers are brought together without any previous acquaintance with one another; and many of them, after a long residence on shore, have lost most of their naval habits.

The sailors, being collected how and where we can get hold of them, are too frequently the off-scourings and scum of society.

With such a heterogeneous crew, the first year is employed in teaching them habits of cleanliness and common decency; and it is only in the third year of their service that the ship becomes really efficient.

Just as that point has been reached, all hands are turned off, to make room for another experiment.