62

HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

to stiffen and strengthen the vessel, were at the same time applied to the purposeof seats for the rowers, they from that circumstance acquired the name of6(>uvot , or transtra, the indiscriminate use of the words becoming general,were bandied about unceremoniously on every occasion. In this general useand acceptation of the word, not only those timbers, or beams, which passedacross the ship from one side to the other, were called transtra , or transoms,but those also were so named which projected beyond the side, and were notonly of use to the rowers, but served very materially to strengthen, and connectfirmly together, those vessels, which, on account of their immense length,would, but for the addition of this aid, have been extremely weak. The galliesof war being in breadth only one part in seven, sometimes one in eight, of theirlength, they would by no means have been able to weather even a trivial storm,had they been destitute of this support. In ancient sculpture, as well ason coins, such projections rarely, if ever, are discernible. This happens fromthe representation being, in general, not that of the midship section, the head, orthe stern, in the adoption of either the prominence would be easily seen : but thecase is materially otherwise in the view of the side, or what is now called thesheer draught. Nevertheless, few persons can entertain the smallest doubt ofthe fact, if they will take the trouble to examine the figure of the ancient galley,as given by Bayfius, the projection of the rafter and bracket is there verydistinctly and correctly given. The truth of this fact may also be collectedfrom the vessel built by Archimedes, in which Athenaeus informs us, that thebands, or fillets, (similar, it may be supposed, to those projections now calledwales) as well as the row-locks, or row-ports, were at a considerable and con-venient space beyond the side of the vessel. It was customary in the moreremote ages, as it is at the present time, to give different terms, or names, tothat projecting part of the deck just described, in proportion to its approacheither to the head, or stern ; but these, as well as some other particulars equallytrivial, may be passed over, as being very little to the present purpose: it mustnevertheless not be forgotten, that, according to Demetrius, the rudders were fixedto this projection, which served as their fulcrum, or point of support. Thucydides,indeed, and many other ancient Greek authors, whose testimony is received asfar more authentic than that of the author before quoted, assert, that brackets,or other projections, made of wood, were also placed near the stern, intended toanswer the same purpose ; but the Greek term E 7 tutISbs, which is used, is sup-posed