HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.

Description of the Vessels employed by the Grecians for the Purpose of trans-porting their Army, preparatory to the Siege of Troy—Addition of Decks toGallies—Nautical History of the Athenians, the Lacedemonians, and otherGrecian Republics, with an Account of the different Improvements made bythem while they continued to fourish as Maritime Powers—their Wars with eachother, and their total Annihilation by the Romans—Description of the differ entMaterials used in the Construction of Gallies, independent of the Timber itself—the Nails—the Method of preventing the Water from penetrating throughthe Seams—the Use made of Flax for this Purpose—Practice of paying andsheathing the Bottom, proved by Trajan's Galley raised out of the Lake Riccio—Opinion of Vossius as to the fittest Place for the Rudder—Modern Con-troversies on the same Subject, and on the Situation and Size of the Mastsas well as Yards—the aboriginal Vessel of different Countries described—theRates, or Raft, invented by the Egyptians, and afterwards adopted, as well bythe Phoenicians as the Ethiopians—the Discovery of various Countries by Per-sons navigating Vessels of this Kind—the Canna, or Canoe, first used by theInhabitants of that Part of Europe now called Germany—the Derivation of theTerm—an Account of the various Modes practised by Countries far distant fromeach other, in constructing Vessels bearing this Name, and an Enquiry into Ety-mology and true Meaning of the Word—The different Dimensions and Propor-tions in the Vessels adopted by the Ancients .

T HE trivial variation which existed between the vessels of differentcountries, in the early ages of navigation, renders it almost needlessto adopt any division of accounts with regard to them. But the case is fardifferent with respect to the maritime history of those countries : for althoughthe brief and summary notice already taken of their progressive acquisition ofnaval empire, as it were in chronological order, might pass, with many, as suffi-cient, yet, as forming a proper chain of connection to the whole, it becomesnecessary to enlarge, in some measure, that short recapitulation already given,which, notwithstanding it may serve to convey a general idea of the nauticalhistory of the world, previous to the usurpation of Caesar, is far too desultoryto afford that degree of information necessary to be given, of the various addi-tions and improvements which experience and necessity, aided by ingeniousinvention, gradually introduced.

VOL. I.

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