The Traditionary Story Of The Phoenicians, That One Of Their Heroes Was The
First Man Who Had The Courage To Expose Himself Upon The Waters, In A Half
Burnt Tree, Stript Of Its Branches, Has Already Been Noticed.
It is
probable, however, that the first vessels had not even so much resemblance
to our present boats:
Indeed, conjecture, as well as history, warrant us in
believing that rafts were the most ancient mode of conveyance on the water;
and even in the time of Pliny they were extensively employed, especially in
the navigation of rivers. Boats formed of slender rods or hurdles, and
covered with skins, seem also to have preceded the canoe, or vessel mode of
a single piece of timber. It is probable that a considerable time would
elapse before the means of constructing boats of planks were discovered,
since the bending of the planks for that purpose is not a very obvious art.
The Greeks ascribe this invention to a native of Lydia; but at what period
he lived, is not known. Among some nations, leather was almost the only
material used in the construction of ships; and even in the time of Caesar,
the Veneti, a people of Brittany, distinguished as a maritime and
commercial tribe, made their sails of hides, and their tackle of thongs. In
early ages, also, the Greeks used the common rushes of their country, and
the Carthaginians, the spartum, or broom of Spain.
But it is to the ships of Greece and Rome, when they were constructed with
more skill, and better adapted to navigation, that we are to pay attention;
and of those, only to such as were used for commercial purposes. The latter
were rounder and more capacious than ships used for war; they were
principally impelled by sails; whereas the ships of war, though not wholly
without sails, were chiefly rowed. Another difference between them was,
that ships of war commonly had an helmet engraven on the top of their
masts, and ships for trade had a basket suspended on the top of their mast
as a sign. There seems to have been great variety in the construction of
the latter, according to the particular trade in which they were to be
engaged; and each ship of burden had its boat attached to it. The name of
the ship, or rather of its tutelary deity, was inscribed on the stern:
various forms of gods, animals, plants, &c. were also painted on other
parts. The inhabitants of Phoeacia, or Corsica, are represented as the
first who used pitch to fill up the seams, and preserve the timber;
sometimes wax was used for this purpose, or rather it was mixed with the
paint, to prevent its being defaced by the sun, winds, or water. The
principal instruments used in navigation were the rudder, anchor, sounding
line, cables, oars, sails, and masts.
It is evident from ancient authors, that the ships of the Phoenicians,
Greeks, Romans, and other people of antiquity, had frequently more than one
rudder; but it is not easy to perceive in what way more than one could be
applied to the same end for which the rudder of modern ships is used.
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