The navy yard at Charlestown, near Boston, is situated on the north side of Charles river, contains thirty-four acres, and cost 32,214 dollars.
The navy yard at New York is situated on Long Island, opposite New York, contains forty acres, and cost 40,000 dollars.
The navy yard at Philadelphia is situated on the Delaware river, in the district of Southwark, contains eleven acres to low water mark, and cost 27,000 dollars.
It is remarkable that along the whole of the eastern coast of America, from Halifax in Nova Scotia down to Pensacola in the Gulf of Mexico, there is not one good open harbour. The majority of the American harbours are barred at the entrance, so as to preclude a fleet running out and in to manoeuvre at pleasure; indeed, if the tide does not serve, there are few of them in which a line-of-battle ship, hard pressed, could take refuge. A good spacious harbour, easy of access, like that of Halifax in Nova Scotia, is one of the few advantages, perhaps the only natural advantage, wanting in the United States.
The American navy list is as follows:—
| Captains or Commodores | 50 | Passed Midshipmen | 181 |
| Masters Commandant | 50 | Midshipmen | 227 |
| Lieutenants | 279 | Sailing-Masters | 27 |
| Surgeons | 50 | Sail-makers | 25 |
| Passed Assistant Surgeons | 24 | Boatswains | 22 |
| Assistant Surgeons | 33 | Gunners | 27 |
| Pursers | 45 | Carpenters | 26 |
| Chaplains | 9 |
The pay of these officers is on the following scale. It must be observed, that they do not use the term “half pay;” but when unemployed the officers are either attached to the various dockyards or on leave. I have reduced the sums paid into English money, that they may be better understood by the reader:
| Senior captain, on service | 960 |
| On leave i.e. half-pay | 730 |
| Captains, squadron service | 830 |
| Navy Yard and other duty, half pay | 730 |
| Off duty, ditto | 525 |
| Commanders on service | 525 |
| Navy-yard and other duty, half pay | 440 |
| On leave, ditto | 380 |
| Lieutenants commanding | 380 |
| Navy-yard and other duty, half pay | 315 |
| Waiting orders, ditto | 250 |
| Surgeons, according to their length of servitude, from | 210 |
| To | 500 |
| And half pay in proportion | |
| Assistant Surgeons, from | 200 |
| To | 250 |
| Chaplains; sea service | 250 |
| On leave, half pay | 170 |
| Passed midshipmen, duty | 156 |
| Waiting orders, half pay | 125 |
| Midshipmen; sea service | 33 |
| Navy-yard and other duty, half pay! | 72 |
| Leave, ditto! | 63 |
| Sailing-masters; ships of the line | 228 |
| Other duty, half pay | 200 |
| Leave, ditto | 156 |
| Boatswains, carpenters, sailmakers, and gunners | |
| Ships of the line | 156 |
| Frigate | 125 |
| Other duty, half pay | 105 |
| On leave, ditto | 75 |
The navy yard at Washington, in the district of Columbia, is situated on the eastern branch of the Potomac, contains thirty-seven acres, and cost 4,000 dollars. In this yard are made all the anchors, cables, blocks, and almost all things requisite for the use of the navy of the United States.
The navy-yard at Portsmouth, near Norfolk in Virginia, is situated on the south branch of Elizabeth river contains sixteen acres, and cost 13,000 dollars.