WITH the view of giving the British Navy Estimates for the current year, side by side with those of the leading maritime powers, it has been determined to postpone the publication of The Naval Annual to a later period of the year. It is hoped that the change will be approved, as facilitating those comparisons on which the policy of the Admiralty, as embodied in the Navy Estimates, must mainly depend.
It will not be necessary to enumerate once more in the Preface the ably-conducted and well-informed journals from which The Naval Annual is mainly compiled. It has been desired to acknowledge in each case in the body of the work the source from which matter has been borrowed.
As an annual summary of the events of the year, drawn from widely scattered sources, it is hoped that the compilation of The Naval Annual may be of real service to those interested in naval affairs.
The NEW PROGRAMME of construction is the great incident of the past year. A forward movement on the part of the Naval Administration of the British Empire had become necessary in Iview of the active efforts of other Powers.
The year 1888 has been darkened by the loss of some distinguished ornaments of the naval profession. The members of Lord Northbrook's Board remember with affection their colleague, Sir Cooper Key. In Sir William Hewett the Navy has lost a great leader.
The distribution of work in the present volume is acknowledged on the title-page. The revision of the proofs has been undertaken by Mr. Barnes, with the assistance of Mr. J. Potter, the faithful secretary for many years of Lady Brassey.