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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

tory, since that time, when experience taught them that their different rude con-trivances fully answered the humble ends to which they were applied. On com-paring the account given by Sir George Staunton of their smaller vessels withthose in use among the ab-original Britons, the similitude will be found extremelystriking. “ The boats,” says he, “ commonly in use among them, consist offive planks only, joined together without ribs or timbers of any kind. Thoseplanks are bent to the proper shape, by being exposed some time to a flame of fire.They are brought to a line at each end, and the edges are joined together withwooden pins, and stitched with bamboo split into flexile threads, and the seamsafterwards smeared with a paste made with quick lime from sea-shells and water*.Others are made of wicker-work smeared all over, and rendered water-tight bythe same composition as is used for the former. The owners affect to paint eyesupon the heads of all those boats, as if to denote the vigilance requisite in theconduct of them. They are remarkable for standing the sudden shock of violentwaves, as well as, for being stiff upon the water, and sailing expeditiously. Theboat belonging to the chief of the district was built upon the same plan, but ona larger scale ; had a carved and gilt head bearing some resemblance to that of atiger; and a stern ornamented with sculpture, and painted with a variety ofdesigns in lively colours. In those boats the principal sitters are generally at thestem, instead of being near the stern, as is the custom in Europe.”

Having said thus much, we should be involuntarily led into an anachronismwere we to proceed any farther. The skill possessed by this extraordinarypeople in modern times, as naval architects, appears to the most perfect con-viction so little varying from their own, and the practice of all the rest of theworld so many centuries since, that their ancient history would imperceptibly in-volve with it their more recent one. Except, perhaps, in some few particulars,more, indeed, to be considered as refined embellishments than as tending to anyreal use or advantage, one and the same account might serve, without muchimpropriety, for both.

Although we have stated the .Egyptians and Phoenicians as those w'hoare supposed to have first followed navigation as a national pursuit, yet a mul-titude of individuals belonging to other countries -f*, whose names we shall haveoccasion to mention hereafter, when we speak of the Galley, or vessel of war in

* This circumstance well explains the term of ospdxwa zsopQi/.t~ot used by Strabo, and strangely sup-posed, by Schaeffer, to mean vessels built with sea shells.

f Danaus, or Armais, Janus, and many others.

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