27
Then a new difficulty arose. Orders had been received to fill up the crews of the coastguard ships and commission every vessel in the reserve. There was now found a considerable dearth of men. The coastguard, a most efficient force of about 4000 men, could only be drawn upon to a small extent, because to them was entrusted the important duty of working the signal stations which we had established all round the coast of the United Kingdom. This was an invaluable piece of organisation, because it enabled the appearance of any vessel to be flashed to all parts. The efficiency depended, however, upon the men at these places being able, not only to distinguish between a merchant ship and a man-of-war, and to detect the latter if disguised, but to know by appearance the nationality of an approaching cruiser. The experience of the coastguard men made them adepts at recognising their own vessels, and being furnished with photographs of foreign war vessels they could identify any hostile cruiser. Clearly their places could not be taken by landsmen, as had been proposed, or even seafaring people without experience. Hence the coastguard could not be sent afloat in any numbers.
The Naval Reserve was called out, but no one knew where they were coming from, or in what numbers. As they mostly belonged to the principal steamers, the owners regarded with dismay their vessels depleted of men. The slow steamers
