Shortening sail, we came to an anchor not far from the Saint Vincent, among several other yachts.  On the Gosport side we could see across the harbour, away to the dockyard, off the quays of which were clustered a number of black monsters of varied form and rig.  Papa said--though otherwise we could not have believed it--"that there were amongst them some of the finest ships of the present navy."  I could hardly fancy that such ships could go to sea, for they are more like gigantic coal barges with strong erections on their decks, than anything else afloat.