Великий военный синдикат

           ThereweremanythinkingpersonswhosawtheweightoftheSyndicate’sstatements,buttheeffectofthecircularuponthepopularmindwasnotgreat.TheSyndicatewasnowhardatworkmakingpreparationsforthegrandstrokewhichhadbeendeterminedupon.Inthewholecountrytherewasscarcelyamanwhoseabilitycouldbemadeavailableintheirwork,whowasnotengagedintheirservice;andeverywhere,infoundries,workshops,andshipyards,theconstructionoftheirenginesofwarwasbeingcarriedonbydayandbynight.Nocontractsweremadeforthedeliveryofworkatcertaintimes;everythingwasdoneunderthedirectsupervisionoftheSyndicateanditssubordinates,andtheworkwentonwithadefinitenessandrapidityhithertounknowninnavalconstruction.InthemidstoftheSyndicate’slabourstherearrivedoffthecoastofCanadathefirstresultofGreatBritain’spreparationsforherwarwiththeAmericanSyndicate,intheshapeoftheAdamant,thelargestandfinestironcladwhichhadevercrossedtheAtlantic,andwhichhadbeensenttoraisetheblockadeoftheCanadianportbytheSyndicate’svessels.Thisgreatshiphadbeenespeciallyfittedouttoengageincombatwithrepellersandcrabs.AsfaraswaspossiblethepeculiarconstructionoftheSyndicate’svesselshadbeencarefullystudied,andEnglishspecialistsinthelineofnavalconstructionandordnancehadgivenmostearnestconsiderationtomethodsofattackanddefencemostlikelytosucceedwiththesenovelshipsofwar.