grew larger, their action in concert with fire-ships became daily more
difficult. On the other hand, there had already been abandoned the
idea of combining them with the fighting-ships to form a few
_groups_,_each_ provided with all the means of attack and defence. The
formation of the close-hauled line-of-battle, by assigning the
fire-ships a place in a second line placed half a league on the side
farthest from the enemy, made them more and more unfitted to fulfil
their office. The official plan of the battle of Malaga (1704), drawn
up immediately after the battle, shows the fire-ship in this position
as laid down by Paul Hoste. Finally the use of shells, enabling ships
to be set on fire more surely and quickly, and introduced on board at
the period of which we are now treating, though the general use did
not obtain until much later, was the last blow to the fire-ship." (1)

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1. Gougeard: Marine de Guerre.
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Those who are familiar with the theories and discussions of our own
day on the subject of fleet tactics and weapons, will recognize in
this short notice of a long obsolete type certain ideas which are not
obsolete. The fire-ship disappeared from fleets "whose speed it
delayed." In heavy weather small bulk must always mean comparatively
small speed. In a moderate sea, we are now told, the speed of the
torpedo-boat falls from twenty knots to fifteen or less, and the
seventeen to nineteen knot cruiser can either run away from the
pursuing boats, or else hold them at a distance under fire of machine
and heavy guns. These boats are sea-going, "and it is thought can keep
the sea in all weathers; but to be on board a 110-foot torpedo-boat,
when the sea is lively, is said to be far from agreeable. The heat,