a standard or proportion, by which either the quantity or value of a thing is adjusted.

RATES, in the navy, the orders or classes into which the ships of war are divided, according to their force and magnitude.

The regulation which limits the rates of men of war to the smallest number possible, seems to have been dictated by considerations of political economy, or of that of the simplicity of the service in the royal dock-yards. The British fleet is accordingly distributed into six rates, exclusive of the inferior vessels that usually attend on naval armaments; as sloops of war, armed ships, bomb-ketches, fire-ships and cutters, or schooners commanded by lieutenants.

Ships of the first rate mount 100 cannon, having 42-pounders on the lower deck, 24-pounders on the middle deck, 12-pounders on the upper deck, and 6 pounders on the quarter-deck and fore-castle. They are manned with 850 men, including their officers, seamen, marines, and servants.

In general, the ships of every rate, besides the captain, have the master, the boatswain, the gunner, the chaplain, the purser, the surgeon, and the carpenter; all of whom, except the chaplain, have their mates or assistants, in which are comprehended the sail-maker, the master at arms, the armourer, the captain's clerk, the gunsmith, &c.

The number of other officers is always in proportion to the rate of the ship. Thus a first-rate has six lieutenants, six master's mates, twenty four midshipmen, and five surgeon's mates, who are considered as gentlemen: besides the following petty officers; quarter-masters and their mates, fourteen; boatswain's mates and yeomen, eight; gunner's mates and assistants, six; quarter-gunners, twenty-five; carpenter's mates, two, besides fourteen. fourteen assistants; with one steward and steward's mate to the purser.

If the dimensions of all ships of the same rate were equal, it would be the simplest and most perspicuous method to collect them into one point of view in a table: but as there is no invariable rule for the general dimensions, we must content ourselves with but a few remarks on ships of each rate, so as to give a general idea of the difference between them.

The Victory, one of the last built of our first rates, is 222 feet 6 inches in length, from the head to the stern; the length of her keel, 151 feet 3 inches; that of her gun-deck, or lower deck, 186 feet; her extreme breadth is 51 feet 10 inches; her depth in the hold, 21 feet 6 inches; her burden, 2162 tons; and her poop reaches 6 feet before the mizen-mast.

Ships of the second rate carry 90 guns upon three decks, of which those on the lower battery are 32-pounders; those on the middle, 18-pounders; on the upper deck, 12-pounders; and those on the quarter-deck, 6-pounders, which usually amount to four or six. Their complement of men is 750, in which there are six lieutenants, four master's mates, 24 midshipmen, and four surgeon's mates, 14 quarter-masters and their mates, eight boatswain's mates and yeomen, six gunner's mates and yeomen, with 22 quarter-gunners, two carpenter's mates, with 10 assistants, and one steward and steward's mate.

Ships of the third rate carry from 64 to 80 cannon, which are 31, 18, and 9 pounders. The 80-gun ships, however, begin to grow out of repute, and to give way to those of 74, 70, &c., which have only two whole batteries; whereas the former have three, with 28 guns planted on each, the cannon of their upper deck being the same as those on the quarter-deck and fore-castle of the latter, which are 9-pounders. The complement in a 74 is 650, and in a 64, 550 men; having, in peace, four lieutenants, but in war, five; and when an admiral is aboard six. They have three master's mates, 16 midshipmen, three surgeon's mates, 10 quarter-masters, and their mates, six boatswain's mates and yeomen, four gunner's mates and yeomen, with 18 quarter-gunners, one carpenter's mate, with eight assistants, and one steward and steward's mate under the purser.

Ships of the fourth rate mount from 62 to 50 guns, upon two decks, and the quarter-deck. The lower tier is composed of 24-pounders, the upper tier of 12-pounders, and the cannon on the quarter-deck and fore-castle of 6-pounders. The complement of a 50 gun ship is 350 men, in which there are three lieutenants, two master's mates, 10 midshipmen, two surgeon's mates, eight quarter-masters and their mates, four boatswain's mates and yeomen, one gunner's mate and one yeoman, with 12 quarter-gunners, one carpenter's mate and six assistants, and a steward and steward's mate.

All vessels of war, under the fourth rate, are usually comprehended under the general name of frigates, and never appear in the line of battle. They are divided into the 5th and 6th rates; the former mounting from 40 to 32 guns, and the latter from 28 to 20. The largest of the fifth rate have two decks of cannon, the lower battery being of 18-pounders, and that of the upper deck of 9-pounders; but those of 36 and 32 guns have one complete deck of guns, mounting 12-pounders, besides the quarter-deck and fore-castle, which carry 6-pounders. The complement of a ship of 44 guns is 280 men; and that of a frigate of 36 guns, 240 men. The first has three, and the second two lieutenants; and both have two master's mates, six midshipmen, two surgeon's mates, six quarter-masters and their mates, two boatswain's mates, and one yeoman, one gunner's mate and one yeoman, with 10 or 11 quarter-gunners, and one purser's steward.

Frigates of the 6th rate carry 9-pounders, those of 28 guns having 3-pounders on their quarter-deck, with 200 men for their complement; and those of 24, 160 men: the former has two lieutenants, the latter, one; and both have two master's mates, four midshipmen, one surgeon's mate, four quarter-masters and their mates, one boatswain's mate and one yeoman, one gunner's mate and one yeoman, with six or seven quarter-gunners, and one purser's steward.

The floops of war carry from 18 to 8 cannon, the largest of which have six-pounders; and the smallest, viz. those of 8 or 10 guns, four-pounders. Their officers are generally the same as in the 6th rates, with little variation; and their complements of men are from 120 to 60, in proportion to their force or magnitude. N.B. Bomb-vessels are on the same establishment as floops; but fire-ships and hospital ships are on that of fifth-rates.

Nothing more evidently manifests the great improvement of the marine art, and the degree of perfection to which it has arrived in Britain, than the facility of managing our first rates; which were formerly deemed incapable of government, unless in the most favourable weather of the summer.

Ships of the second rate, and those of the third, which have three decks, carry their sails remarkably well, and labour very little at sea. They are excellent in a general action, or in cannonading a fortress. Those of the third rate, which have two tiers, are fit for the line of battle, to lead the convoys and squadrons of ships of war in action, and in general to suit the different exigencies of the naval service.

The fourth-rates may be employed on the same occasions as the third-rates, and may be also destined amongst the foreign colonies, or on expeditions of great distance; since these vessels are usually excellent for keeping and sustaining the sea.

Vessels of the fifth rate are too weak to suffer the shock of a line of battle; but they may be destined to lead the convoys of merchant ships, to protect the commerce in the colonies, to cruise in different stations, to accompany squadrons, or be sent express with necessary intelligence and orders. The same may be observed of the fifth rates.

The frigates, which mount from 28 to 38 guns upon one deck, with the quarter-deck, are extremely proper for cruising against privateers, or for short expeditions, being light, long, and usually excellent failers.