HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

S39

CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH.

Causes of the Decline and contracted Pursuit of Naval War as well as Com-merce—its Revival by the Venetians—Speech of one of their Doges in Comme-moration of their former Greatness—Account of a Band of Andulusian Free-booters, with a Statement of their Naval Force—the Primaeval Naval Historyof the Northern European Nations—Origin of the Rossi or Roxolani, nowcalled Russians—their Patience and Perseverance exemplified by their havingundertaken a diplomatic Journey over Land to Constantinople—their Passagefrom thence in Company with the Ambassadors sent by Theophilus, Emperor ofthe East, to Lewis, Son to Charlemagne, Emperor of the Franks—Origin ofthe Scandinavians—their Passage into Schlavonia—their Reception, Dissimu-lation, and Conduct—their Intermixture with the Rossi, and Assumption of thesame Name—their Acquisition of Strength, in consequence of the Emigrationfrom Britain, occasioned by the Norman Conquest—Improvements in Geogra-phical Knowlege, and Extension of Territorial Discoveries—Intercourse esta-blished between Russia and the Empire of the East—Description of the Vesselsused by the Scandinavians, or Russians, for the Purposes of Commerce—theMethod of conducting it, with its Extent—the various Enterprises undertakenby the Russians against the Metropolis of the Grecian Empire—their Success,with a Description of the Vessels which composed their Armaments—CommercialSpirit of the Croats—Aversion of some Individuals among them to MercantilePursuits—turn Freebooters, and commit various Depredations, till finally sub-dued by the encreasing Power of the Venetians—State of the Naval Force pos-sessed by the Grecian or Eastern Empire, with the various Methods adoptedfor its Support.

T HROWN into a channel almost totally new and unexpected, afterhaving nearly experienced annihilation ; narrowed, at least in extent, toalmost that original state of infancy, from whence they had been so manycenturies earlier introduced to the knowlege and admiration of the wholeworld, maritime pursuits might, without impropriety, be said to have expe-rienced a second birth about the middle of the ninth century. The history oftheir preceding and first life, might be considered as almost a total void, did it

not