ABSTRACT
At the end of the eighteenth century, British naval power depended on ways of thinking that can be traced back to the seventeenth century. Despite her insularity, Britain's security largely depended on the politics of continental Europe. British naval strategy evolved over the course of a century after 1650. At its heart lay a 'western squadron', operating in the western approaches to the English Channel. The colonial war and absence of an ally on the Continent denied Britain the resources to pursue such expeditions during the American War of Independence. Common terms of employment bred a spirit of community. The local communities connived at peculation and theft. Receivers sold on material to London or other ports. Theft was part of the community culture. The costs of the navy in wartime were met on the whole by the issue of Navy and Victualling Bills, the acceptability of which depended on the navy's reputation for sound credit.
