masthead and in the bows of boats, etc., and is entitled to a salute of thirteen guns.

6. For Commodores. The designating flag was a blue, swallow tailed, broad pendant with one white star, to be worn at the main of his ship and in the bow of his boat, when in command of a squadron, or of a single ship other than the flag ship of the admiral commanding the fleet. When in command of naval stations it was to be worn on board the receiving ship, or if there was no such vessel, then at the usual place at the navy yard for displaying a flag.

When two or more commodores met, the superior in rank to wear the blue, the next the red, and the other or others a white pendant, the same in order as prescribed for rear admiral's flags. The salute of a commodore, which had been thirteen guns, was by these regulations reduced, in consequence of the introduction of the higher grades, and to conform to the custom of foreign navies, to eleven guns. The commodores' broad pendant was required to be swallow tailed, the angular point to fall on a line drawn at a right angle with the hoist, or head from its middle, and at a distance from the head of three fifths the whole length of the pendant. The lower side of the pendant to be rectangular with the hoist or head; but on the contrary the upper side to be sloped, so as to narrow the pendant across at the extremity of the tail, one tenth of the measure of the hoist, and thus render the upper tail correspondingly shorter than the lower one.

7. For Commanders of Divisions, Commanders of Squadrons of Divisions, and Senior Officers present. The flags or pendants were all triangular in shape, and were to be worn by officers below the rank of a commodore at the main royal masthead (alongside the narrow pendant distinctive of their rank), when in command of a division and more than one ship, but were not to be worn in the bows of boats. (Plate xi).

The triangular pendant of the commanders of divisions were, for the 1st division, blue; 2d, red; 3d, white and red vertical. The senior officer's flag white and blue vertical. In 1869, these flags were reversed thus: The pendant of the commander of the 1st division, all red, of the 2d white, red perpendicular, of the 3d, all blue, and the guard flag, white with a red saltier, the senior officer's flag. (See Plate xi).

The flags of the commanders of the first seven squadrons of 'divisions had the middle part of a different color from the rest, in the form of a wedge, the base occupying one-third of the hoist or head, and the point extending to the extremity of the flag.

The flag of the first squadron of division was blue-whiteblue; 2d, red-white-red; 3d, white-blue-white; 4th,

white-red-white; 5th, white-yellow-white; 6th, redwhite blue; 7th, white-blue-red. The flag of the 8th squadron of division was yellow and blue vertical; the 9th white and yellow vertical, and the flag of the reserve squadron blue and yellow vertical. (Plate xi).

No divisional commander was to wear a distinctive mark when separated singly from the squadron or station to which he belonged and no officer wearing such a distinctive mark, or that of a senior officer present, was in consequence thereof to assume any additional title or allow himself to be addressed by any other than his commission allowed, nor was he to permit his vessel to be called a flag ship.

8. The pendant for a commanding officer of a single vessel when of lower rank than commodore. Captains, commanders, and other line officers of inferior rank, when actually in command of a vessel of war, were required to wear the narrow or coach whip pendant at the main royal masthead of their vessel, and in the bow of the boat in which they embarked.

This pendant was to be regarded not as an emblem of rank, but as significant of command and that their vessel was of a public character. This narrow pendant was to have the union part composed of thirteen white stars in a horizontal line on a blue field, one-fourth of the length of the pendant. The remaining three-fourths of its length was to be of a red and white stripe each of the same breadth at any part of the taper, and with the red uppermost. The number of stars in the union of night and boat pendants was to be confined to seven.

The flags of commanders of divisions, of squadrons of divisions, of a senior officer present, and the narrow pendant of other commanding officers, were not entitled to a salute; but when these officers saluted an officer of a superior rank, they were to receive, if a captain, a return salute of nine guns, and if of less rank, a return salute of seven guns.

The return salute of officers holding equal rank is always gun for gun. No vessel of the navy, mounting less than six guns, and no store ship or transport is allowed to salute. If necessary to avoid giving offence, such vessel may fire a return salute. No surveying vessel is ever to fire, or return a salute.

In addition to these flags, distinctive of rank and command, the regulations of 1866 provided several for general purposes, viz.: (Plate xi).

1. A Convoy Flag. A white, triangular flag, bordered with red, to be worn by vessels of war when convoying merchant or other vessels.

2. A Pilot Flag. The union jack bordered with red, hoisted at the fore, to denote a pilot wanted.

3. A Compass Flag. This was a square flag divided into four squares or cantons, blue, yellow, white, red. To be hoisted over the numeral flags of the signal code representing the points of the compass.

4. A Guard Flag. A white flag with a red St. Andrew's cross hoisted at the fore, to indicate the vessel charged with guard duty for the day, whose duty it is to board all vessels approaching and ascertain their character before allowing communication with them. (Plate xi).

5. A Guide or Pivot Flag. A square flag composed of five perpendicular stripes, red and white. To designate any steam vessel of a fleet or squadron, etc., as a guide or pivot ship in the performance of any naval evolution. In 1869, this flag was dispensed with. The guard flag was made to answer the purpose of a guide flag. (Plate xi).

6. A Dispatch Flag. A white, square flag with five blue crosses generally known as the five of clubs; hoisted forward, this flag denoted important and urgent special service, which must not be interfered with by any officer junior to the one by whom it was dispatched. (Plate xi).

7. A Powder Flag. A plain red flag hoisted at the fore denoting the vessel is taking in or discharging powder.

8. A Quarantine Flag: A plain yellow flag, also worn at the fore by vessels in quarantine and waiting pratique, denoting all intercourse with the vessel is forbidden. (Plate xi).

9. A Church Pendant. A white pendant, without swallow tails charged with a blue Latin cross, to be hoisted at the peak, during divine service, over the ensign. The only flag to which the national ensign shows such submission. (Plate xi).

10. A General Recall Flag. A blue, square flag with a white Latin cross dividing it into four equal parts. When hoisted by the commander-in-chief, or senior officer present, it is to be considered a peremptory order for all vessels or boats sent in chase, or engaged in other duty of whatever nature, to return at once to their vessels, duty or station, unless they shall have been previously specially ordered to disregard the signal. The general recall is not hauled down until all the vessels or boats obey the signal.

II. The Cornet. Long used in the navy and still continued as the ordinary recall of all boats and officers, and as a signal for sailing. This is a square flag divided into four equal squares of alternate red and white and when hoisted anywhere, without other flags, is to be considered a peremptory order for all absent boats and officers to return on board without delay. When hoisted above or over the numeral flags of the signal code, it denotes those numerals are the ship's book number, opposite to which in navy list in the signal is the ship's name. The cornet hoisted at any part of a vessel, with numeral flags at a different

part of the ship, indicates that those numbers are to be sought for in the telegraphic dictionary, and that the signal will be communicated word by word or letter by letter. The cornet under signal numbers indicates that they represent the private number of a ship.

In addition to these distinctive flags the naval signal code provides pendants to designate shipping, squadron, boat recalls, meal time, etc., etc., also ten numeral flags and three repeating pendants, for telegraphic purposes. As a whole this was, perhaps, the most systematic, complete, and best code of distinctive, general, and telegraphic flags the navy had known; but with a change in the administration of the bureau came a radical change in the distinctive Aags.

At a considerable sacrifice of beauty, and time honored associations, the following order was promulgated, changing the blue at the main to a bit of striped bunting. Restoring the national ensign to the main, in the place of the jack, was, however, a move in the right direction.

"Bureau of Navigation, Navy Department, "Washington, Dec. 31, 1869. "Sir By direction of the secretary of the navy the following instructions are promulgated:

"When the president shall visit a ship of war of the United States, the ensign shall be hoisted at the main, when coming on board, and hauled down at his departure It is also to be hoisted in the bow of the boat in which he embarks.

"When the secretary of the navy shall visit a ship of war of the United States, the union jack shall be hoisted at the main, and in the bow of the boat in which he embarks.

"As the jack is taken from the union of the ensign, in order to utilize the latter still further, the stripes will compose the flag of flag officers, and the broad pendants of commanders, made in the usual shape and size according to the designs in the new signal book. (See plate x).

"Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"JAMES ALDEN,
"Chief of Bureau.

"To Officers Commanding Squadrons."

By another circular order, addressed to commandants of naval stations, dated Dec. 23d, 1869, they were directed to furnish the new naval signal book to each of the vessels in commission at their station, prior to the 1st of Jan., 1870, when the book was to be put into use and the new distinguishing flags and pendants prescribed therein were to be hoisted.