Excerpt from Ancient and Modern Ships, Vol. 1: Wooden Sailing-Ships

A museum relating to Naval Architecture and Shipbuilding is of the utmost interest to the people of Great Britain, on account of the importance to them of everything that bears on the carrying of their commerce. Every Englishman knows, in a general way, that the commerce of the British Empire is more extensive than that of any other state in the world, and that the British sea-going mercantile marine compares favour ably in point of size even with that of all the other countries of the world put together, but few are probably aware of the immense importance to us of these ¿eets of trading ships, and of the great part which they play in the maintenance of the prosperity of these isles. The shipping industry ranks, after agriculture, as the largest of our national commercial pursuits. There is more capital locked up in it, and more hands are employed in the navigation and construction of Ships, their engines and fittings, than in any other trade of the country excepting the tillage of the soil.

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