160

HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

elapsed after the epoch when it was considered the complete dissolution ofher imperial rule had taken place. The principal naval enterprizes of Julianhimself, who, owing both to the unquiet state of the empire during the greaterpart of his reign, and his own restless spirit, was perpetually involved in war,extended not beyond the seizure of a number of inconsiderable vessels on theDanube, by means of which he facilitated his march. Some judgment may beformed of the condition and nature of what was then denominated a fleet, fromthe testimony of history, which records, that one, consisting of eleven hundredships, navigated the Euphrates for the purpose of attending the motions, andsatisfying the wants of Julian’s army ; a train of marine attendants whichwas protected by fifty gallies armed for war, and accompanied by an equalnumber of flat bottomed boats. From the well known nature of the uses towhich the latter were applied, they appear to have been mere pontoons, mostprobably little differing in form or construction from the modern contrivance,bearing the same name, and applied also precisely to the same purpose. Thisseems, from every concurrent testimony, to have been nearly, if not entirely,the whole force of the Roman navy at that time *. Into what an abyss had it

fallen

“ The tillage of the provinces of Gaul had been interrupted by the calamities of war, but the scantyharv ests of the continent were supplied by his ( Julian's) paternal care from the plenty of the adjacentisland (Britain.) Six hundred large barks, framed in the forest of Ardennes, made several voyagesto the coast of Britain ; and returning from thence laden with corn, sailed up the Rhine, and distributedtheir cargoes to the several towns and fortresses along the banks of the river.” Gibbon, chap. xix.To this piece of historical information is subjoined the following note:—“ If we compute the 600corn ships of Julian at only 70 tons each, they were capable of exporting 120,000 quarters; (seeArbuthnot’s Weights and Measures, page 237.) and the country which could bear so large anexportation, must already have attained an improved state of agriculture.”

* Some judgment may be formed of its insignificance in respect to the size or burthen of the ves-sels which composed it, nearly on the same ground with that of the Grecian navy, as has been alreadyshewn, (seep. 95.) Julian, in order to avoid passing under the walls of Coche, from the numerousand enterprising garrison of which fortress he had every reason to expect some serious molestation,caused (as Trajan his predecessor had done before him) a navigable canal to be dug, which con-ducted the water of the Nahar Malcha, (meaning the royal canal, an artificial duct which conveyeda part of the waters of the Euphrates into the Tigris) after leaving the city of Coche on the righthand, into the Tigris, at some distance from the object of his apprehension. This magnificent pro-ject or undertaking could not have been executed in five times the period it is said to have been,had not the vessels composing the imperial fleet been of the utmost insignificance in respect to bur-then and dimensions. A still further proof of this fact appears on the face of the record which hastransmitted to modern times the too hasty impetuosity of Julian in destroying what was termed his navy,

—Out