Mr. Morris to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I have the honor to communicate the following information concerning the present condition of the Turkish navy. The particulars are derived from reliable authority.
In construction: At the Constantinople navy yard, 1 screw ship-of-the-line; 2 screw frigates; 2 paddle-wheel frigates; 1 screw corvette; 2 screw gunboats or yachts. At other Turkish navy yards, 3 frigates, 2 corvettes, and other smaller vessels. In England, 3 steel-clad frigates are ordered, and 1 in France; but a considerable period of time will elapse before they are finished. Ten gun-boats are also in construction. The Sultan has ordered 10 steamers, of 350 horse-power each, to be constructed out of his private purse in England. These are chiefly intended for the personal service of the court.
Of vessels ready for service, there are 1 ship-of-the-line of 130 cannon; 1 of 90; 5 steam frigates of 90 cannon each, (2 not yet fitted up with machinery;) 2 steam screw vessels of 60 cannon; 2 ditto of 48 cannon, these latter not yot fitted with machinery; 1 sailing frigate of 52 cannon; 4 paddle-wheel frigates of 16 cannon each; 6 screw corvettes of 6 cannon; 30 goelettes and cutters of 190 cannon in all; about 40 transport steamers, of which about one quarter are out of service repairing; 4 sailing transports and yachts; also 10 small steamers on station in Turkish ports.
Besides the sailors, there is a force of 3,000 marines.
There is one naval school, and that at Khalki, of the Prince’s islands. No practical instruction is given to the pupils by experimental cruisers. About 200 pupils are in attendance.
The machinery for the navy is all constructed in England or France, and the engineers are generally Englishmen.
None of the more recent improvements in gunnery have been adopted, and but little care is taken to exercise the sailors in nautical manœuvres, and the [Page 377] fleet cannot, consequently, be considered as in a high state of efficiency. There is not a single rifled cannon on board any vessel in the navy.
With such a small and inefficient navy, as yet altogether composed of wooden vessels, there is reason to fear that in a war with Russia the Turkish naval power would be seriously crippled, if not altogether destroyed. It cannot be safely relied on as one of the trustworthy defences of the empire.
I have the honor to be, with great respect, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.