EARLY NAVIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 103, 3 May 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

EARLY NAVIES.

FROM TREE TRUNKS TO STEEL. Hundreds of years ago the boys and girls who lived near important seaports must have been just as interested in seeing over men-o-'war as are young people of to-day. But what a lot more there is to see on a modern battleship than there was on the biggest boats afloat in the time of the Spanish Armada fights. After a visit to. the wharves, when a cruiser is open for inspection, young visitors never forget some of'the wonderful mechanism they see. Although it is many years since I saw the first battleship, I can remember the fascination with which I watched the huge shells of the 12-inch guns coming up in a lift, and being driven into the breach of the gun by what looked like a giant automatic corkscrew. Have you ever wondered liow long man had been building before he. brought these floating fortresses into use to protect his country ? lam sure many thoughtful boys and girls have. And to those who are not satisfied with being tickled by the sight of the present-day marvels, but want to know something of what led up to them, a little study of the early fighting craft will strongly appeal. The ancient Britons were very backward in the building of their sea craft. While other countries along the Mediterranean were putting new ideas into practice the Britons clung to the "dugout" made from tree trunks. Nearly fifty years ago one was unearthed near the edge of a lake in North Lincolnshire. It had been cut from the trunk of an "oak tree more than 2000 years ago, and measured 48 feet long, with a six feet beam. From the shape of the bow it is thought it was used for ramming enemies. Among the first men to improve the dug-out were the Phoenicians. To prevent swamping they attached bark along the gunwhale, and, being afraid of a following sea, they built high sterns. Fibre aiid mortar held the planks together, and the use of metal bolts was also known. The, earliest sails were simply a square, and Avere used for running before the wind only, otherwise oars were used. Soiiiewhere about the year 150 B.C. a gigantic ship was built for King Ptolemy, of Egypt. It was 420 feet long by 56 feet beam, and 80 feet deep from keel.to the top of the poop. Although it has been called h yacht, this name is not correct, as it was made to be propelled by 48 rowers, who used oars up to 56 feet long. Room was found on her for 400 servants and 2800 sailors and soldiers. But whether this ship ever braved the waves is said to be very doubtful. , Voyages of great daring and importance were made in Viking ships about one thousand years ago. Most of the ships of this period are thought to have had twenty-one oars a side. One of the ships of Canute the Great had sixty a side. There is a story in the records of /these great seamen which shows the tricks they got up to as far back as 1018. A pirate called Harek of Thiotta, seeing a Danish ship, pulled down his mast and sail, put a tent amidships, and hid all but a few of the crew under it. Then with only ,a few rowers at either end his craft looked such an easy prize that the Dane came up alongside and was captured. The galley was a type of ship which also-belonged to the Mediterranean. It was a long, narrow vessel, and the earliest galleys were paddled instead of rowed. "Drawings of galleys with several rows of oars are often seen, butjust how they were built to make this possible is a problem. The Vikings rowed standing up, but in the Mediterranean galleys the men probably kept in their seats in the smaller vessels, although in the bigger ones they had to rise, move forward and throw themselves back into their seats. To keep the Towers in time musical instruments or songs were used. Some of the galley slaves would row for twenty hours without a snell. having bread soaked in wine put into their mouths while they worked. When enough was ' known about heavy guns to instal them in ships the Mediterranean countries built ' whnt they called the galleasse. It was like a large galley, carrying broadside guns among the rowers. As the number of rowers was reduced, three tall masts fitted with sails became part of the equipment to increase the speed. But the galle&sse was not suitable for the Atlantic Ocean, 'and powers on that coast thought out a shin they called the galleon. In designing it they copied the slow-sailing, merchantmen, and did without oars altogether. For greater strength, and to be able to keep the guns as near the centre line as possible, they were built with the deck much narrower than the ship was at the water line. The galleon type became the standard of the British men-o'-war down i - IHe seventeenth i cen' irv.