THE  NAVAL FORCES.
Empress appointed the Heir Apparent Cesarevitch — General Admiral, and then laid down fixed regulations for the peace and war establishments of the navy, the guiding principle of which was, «that the Russian fleet ashould not only be equal to each of the fleets of Den-«mark and Sweden, but more powerful in the number «of ships of the line.s We will not enumerate the victories of the Russian fleet under Catherine the Great: those of Chesma, Otchakoff, Hochland and Rotchensalm have covered it with unfading glory. In relation to the development of our maritime power, the establishment of a fleet in the Black Sea played a specially important role. After the subjugation of the Crimea, in 1783, Catherine considered the organization of that fleet as her first duty. The chief port of the Black Sea was established at Sebastopo!, and in 1787 the Empress was greeted there with the thunder of the guns of the new fleet, which soon afterwards gained several brilliant victories over the Turks. The successor of Catherine II, the Emperor Paul, as General-Admiral devoted much labour and thought to the development and organization of the navy. In 1797 new statutes were issued, which required the fleet to consist of 12 ships of 100 guns, 36 — of 74 guns, 12 — of 66 guns, and of 45 frigates, besides other smaller vessels.
Under Alexander I this regulation number was somewhat curtailed, because, in reality, there were far fewer vessels, than appeared on paper; but, at the same time, improvements were made in naval construction, in the training of pilots, and in naval artillery; and subsequently,
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