Of the above, the Furieux, Indomptable, Caïman, and Duguesclin were not quite complete as to fittings at the date of the budget. Besides the ships enumerated here, the following ironclads were on the stocks in 1884 in the dockyards of France:-The Requin, building at Bordeaux, a smaller Inflexible, but with fixed turrets, the guns being mounted en barbette. It is of 7,168 tons displacement, and protected at the water-line by compound armour 50 centimètres thick at the top and diminishing to 40 centimètres. There were the Formidable, at Lorient, and the Amirul Baudin, at Brest, monster ironclads of 11,300 tons, armoured at the sides to the extent of from 45 to 55 centimètres, and with three 100-ton guns, besides several smaller ones.

According to the budget of the Minister of Marine the following other first-class ironclads are on the stocks, but not far advanced :The Neptune, at Brest, 10,581 tons; Hoche, at Lorient, 10,581 tons; Brennus, at Lorient, 9,780 tons; Magenta, at Toulon, 10,581 tons; Charles Martel, at Toulon, 9,780 tons; Marceau, 10,581 tons. These new vessels are estimated to cost from 9 to 11 million francs each. Two second-class ironclads have been begun at Cherbourg and Brest, while four first-class and four second-class armoured gunboats are well advanced at Cherbourg, Lorient, and Rochefort.

There are, besides, on the stocks three cruisers, two of them well advanced, twelve torpedo boats, six avisos and gunboats, seven transports, and seven other vessels. The total sum in the budget to be spent on new constructions in 1885 is 37,767,609 francs, which was subsequently increased by an addition of 14,750,000 francs.

The three most powerful of the completed ironclads of the French navy are the turret-ships Dévastation, the Foudroyant, and the Amiral Duperré. They were designed nearly on the same lines, are 312 feet in length, and are constructed mainly of steel. Not much inferior are the Redoutable, the Trident, the Friedland, and the Colbert. In the whole of the ironclads, horizontal steel armour is used in sufficient strength to render the decks bomb-proof, and guns are mounted en barbette, capable of being used in all directions. The Couronne was built in 1861, the Héroïne in 1863, Surveillante, Valeureuse, and Savoie in 1864, and the Revanche in 1865; they are all of old type, and by a recent decision of the Minister of Marine most of them are to be struck off from the 'effectif normal' in 1885.

The ironclads of the second rank,' enumerated in the preceding tabular list, are held to be available only for defensive warfare, while the 'gardecôtes cuirassés' are, as indicated by the name, destined solely for the protection of the maritime border of France.

According to the latest ministerial statements it has been decided not to lay down any more ironclads at present, but to devote available resources to the completion of the vessels already in hand, and to increase the number of cruisers. A very powerful party in the French naval service are opposed entirely to ironclad construction.

Among the unarmoured steamers of the French navy the most notable are the frigates Duquesne and Tourville, both constructed for high speed, calculated at seventeen knots. They are sister-ships; the first launched at Rochefort, and the second at Toulon, in 1876. They are each 309 feet long, and 50 feet broad, with engines of 6,000 horse-power, and a displacement of 5,340 tons. Each of these ships is armed with 21 guns, of which 14 are of a bore of 5 inches, and seven of 9 inches. Of the remainder of the unarmoured screw steamers of the French navy, more than one-half are not in active service.

By a resolution of the National Assembly passed in the session of 1875, large additions were made to the navy of war, an annual credit of 30,000,000 francs, or 1,200,000l., being set aside for the purpose, to be applied to 50 vessels, the construction of which was either to be finished, continued, or simply commenced within five years. The greater number of these vessels are being built in the government dockyards at Brest, Cherbourg, and Toulon.

The French navy is manned partly by conscription and partly by voluntary enlistment. The marine conscription was introduced as early as the year 1683. There is an Inscription maritime,' on the lists of which are the names of all male individuals of the 'maritime population; that is, men and youths devoted to a seafaring life, from the 18th to the 50th year of age. The number of men thus inscribed fluctuates from 150,000 to 180,000. The time of service in the navy is the same as that in the army, with similar conditions as to reserve duties, furloughs, and leave of absence for lengthened periods. It is enacted by the law of 1872 that a certain number of young men liable to service in the Active Army may select instead the navy service, if recognised fit for the duties, even if not enrolled in the 'Inscription maritime.'

For administrative purposes, France is divided into five divisions maritimes,' and subdivided into twelve 'arrondissements maritimes,' as follows:

Divisions

1. Cherbourg

2. Brest

3. Lorient

4. Rochefort

5. Toulon

Arrondissements

Dunkerque-Le Havre.
Brest-Saint Servan.
Lorient Nantes.

Rochefort-Bordeaux-Bayonne.
Marseilles-Toulon-Ajaccio.

At the head of the administrative government of each maritime division is a Vice-admiral bearing the title of Préfet maritime.' According to the budget estimates for 1885 the French navy, in all its departments, had 2 admirals; 19 vice-admirals; 30 rearadmirals; 100 captains of first-class men of war; 201 captains of frigates; 724 lieutenants; 420 ensigns; 235 'aspirants'; and 37,711 warrant officers and men, besides naval engineers, constructors, surgeons, dockyard police, &c. Besides officers, there are 19,365 sub-officers and men in the marine infantry, and 4,807 in the marine artillery. The total sum allotted in the budget of 1885 for the navy is 200,000,000 francs or 8,000,000l. The total value of the French fleet on January 1, 1885, is estimated in the budget at 559,612,522 francs, or 22,384,500l. The sum set down for the construction of new vessels, including those on the stocks, in the budget for 1885 is 37,767,609 francs or 1,510,7047.

Area and Population.

The following statement gives the area and population of France at the enumerations of May 1866, of May 1872, of December 31, 1876, and December 18, 1881 :

G

The decrease in area and population between 1866 and 1872 was due to the cessions made to Germany in the terms of the Treaty of Peace, concluded May 10, 1871. By its terms, France lost one entire department, that of the Bas-Rhin; two arrondissements, with fractions of a third, of the adjoining department of the Haut-Rhin; and the greater portion of the department of the Moselle. The increase of population between 1872 and 1876 was ascribed in part to immigration from the provinces ceded to Germany. Between 1872 and 1876 there was an increase in the population of 802,867, or 2.2 per cent. in four years, equal to 5 per cent. per annum. Between 1876 and 1881 the increase was 766,269, or 21 per cent. in five years, equal to 42 per cent. per annum.

The following table gives the area, in English square miles, and the legal population (i.e. including those temporarily absent) of the present 87 departments of France-or 86, excluding the small district of Belfort, remnant of the old department of Rhin-according to the census returns of December 31, 1876, and of December 18, 1881 :