HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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entirely on the celerity of their motion; while the benefits of the former, werederived from the greatest abridgement of expence, and trouble that could possiblybe made. These pursuits being so totally different from each other, caused thatmanifest distinction in form which has been already pointed out between thevessels intended for war, and those built for the purpose of merchandize only.

An account of the materials used by the ancients for the purpose of ship-building has been already given. To the construction of the war galley, theslightest consideration must convince us, timber alone was applicable. Theparticular kind used by different states varied according to the production ofthose countries, as well as the inventive ingenious faculty of the inhabitants informing tools proper to work it. In nations which were then called civilized,there was no deficiency or want in this particular: the Phoenicians, the Gre-cians, the Carthaginians, and the Romans, possessing every instrument neces-sary to the construction of such vessels built for war, as the imperfect know-lege of navigation in the early ages of the world enabled them to conduct ormanage. The difference of those woods applied by them to that purpose wasnot indeed entirely occasioned by the productions peculiar to each individualdistrict or territory, but by the experience of their different qualities. Thefir was found to be the lightest as well as the easiest worked: the oak, on theother hand, though more difficult in application, proved the strongest and mostdurable: besides these, the elm, the cypress, the cedar, the pitch pine, the ilex(a species of oak), the ash, and even the alder, were severally tried. We believe,however, though many are laid to have been in high repute, few were in whatcould be called general use, particularly for the construction of large or warlikevessels, except the oak and fir, or pitch pine.

As the science advanced in general use and repute, practice and experience in-troduced certain maxims, some of which were really found necessary, while,at the same time, whim and caprice suggested others completely ridiculous, not tobe accounted for, and absurd. Hesiod, for example, informs us, that it was deemedimproper to fell any timber for the purpose of shipbuilding except on the i 7thday of the moon’s age, because, it being then in the wane, the sap or internalmoisture, which is the grand cause of early decay, would be sunk, or, at least, con-siderably lessened. Vegetius extends the time, and allows, that if trees are cutdown from the 15th to the 23d day of the moon, they will endure for a longtime without perishing; but adds, if that limitation is transgressed, the dailypractice and experience of all artizans may convince the world, it would be-

come