pseudo-utilitarians and narrow-visioned individuals who have no appreciation of naval defences, we sing, with DIBDEN,

"Thine oaks descending to the main,

Like floating forts shall stem the tide;
Asserting Britain's ocean reign,

Where'er her thundering navies ride.
Nor less to peaceful arts inclin'd

Where Commerce opens all her stores;
In social bands shall league mankind,
And join the sea-divided shores.

Spread thy white sails where naval glory calls,—
Britain's best bulwarks are her wOODEN WALLS!

Before entering upon the interesting path, made historically valuable by the actions of our brave seamen, we have ventured briefly to advert to a few material matters of an early date; and which will also be found not altogether devoid of interest in tracing the upward progress of our far-famed British Navy.

J. B. W.

LONDON, 1853.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

THE rapid sale of the first edition of this work, and the numerous applications that have been made for it since it has been out of print, have induced the publishers to venture upon its re-issue.

In presenting the volume a second time to the public, considerable pains have been taken to render it, if possible, worthier of acceptance and favour. The Biographical Sketches have been added to; those already existing have been amplified (that of Lord Nelson particularly); Deeds of Daring performed by subordinate officers have been allowed a place; a Collection of Naval Anecdotes from authentic sources bave been gathered together; and a statistical account of the present strength of the British Navy closes the work.

Meanwhile, the pages as they originally stood are, with a few trifling exceptions, left intact; so that, while adding narrative and incident, historic fact and useful information have not been sacrificed.

The term "Wooden Walls" may, in this IRON age, sound somewhat obsolete. But we beg to remind the Reader that our little volume deals not with the present or with the future, but with the past. Fenced about by wooden walls, our "sea-girt isle" has been enabled to emerge

from an obscure and sterile patch of land, to be the richest and most powerful territory in the whole world. Defended by Wooden Walls, our forefathers slept in safety, well knowing that no enemy, however bold, could succeed in scaling or undermining those walls, and invading their homesteads. And, lightly as we, in our generation, may esteem these old-fashioned defences, it needs but a glance at England's naval history to prove that it would have been impossible for our battles to be better fought, or our shores more securely protected.

The naval engagements of the future will be between ships rather than men. In the nature of things, there will be but few opportunities for the display of that personal courage and daring which distinguished our naval heroes of a bygone time, the records of which fire our blood as we read, and make us feel proud of being able to claim these gallant sea-kings as our countrymen.

This change, therefore, in our naval organization must tend to enhance, rather than detract from, the interest of the past; and as we peruse with avidity the doings of the Knights of Old, albeit the Days of Chivalry no longer exist, so with a kindred gratification may we linger over the pages which record the heroic achievements of THE WARRIORS OF OUR WOODEN WALLS.

LONDON, AUGUST, 1864.