Man upon the sea - or, a history of maritime adventure, exploration, and discovery, from the earliest ages to the present time (1858) (14783103132)

Identifier: manuponseaorhist00good (find matches)
Title: Man upon the sea : or, a history of maritime adventure, exploration, and discovery, from the earliest ages to the present time ...
Year: 1858 (1850s)
Authors: Goodrich, Frank B. (Frank Boott), 1826-1894
Subjects: Discoveries in geography Voyages and travels
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & co.
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Public Library



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ific men to be the correct theory, though it couldnever be substantiated till some navigator, sailing to the east,should return by the west. Eratosthenes, proceeding upon thisprinciple, made it his study to adjust to it all the known featuresof the globe. The great ocean of II MAN UPON THE SEA. 57 surrounding the world, still remained in his system. He com-pared, however, the magnitude of the regions known in his timewith what he conceived to be the whole circumference, andbecame convinced that only a third part of the space was filledup. He conjectured that the remaining space might consist ofone great ocean, which he called the Atlantic, from Mount Atlas,which was fancifully believed to support the globe. He supposed,too, that lands and islands might be discovered in it by sailingtowards the west. We shall now proceed to give such a description of the vesselsused by the Greeks after the time of Homer, as the confusedand incomplete data which have reached us will enable us tofurnish.
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A GREEK VESSEL OF THE SIXTH CENTURY B.C. CHAPTER VI. CONSTRUCTION OF GREEK VESSELS—THE PROW, POOP, RUDDER, OARS, MASTS,SAILS, CORDAGE, BULWARKS, ANCHORS—BIREMES, TRIREMES, QUADRIREMES,QUINQUEREMES—THE GRAND GALLEY OF PTOLEMY PHILOPATOR—ROMAN VES-SELS—THEIR NAVY—MIMIC SEA-FIGHTS—THE FIVE VOYAGES OF ANTIQUITY. The prow or foredeck of Greek vessels was ornamented onboth sides by figures in mosaic or painted. An eye on each sideof the cutwater, as is represented above, was a very commonembellishment. A projection from the head of the prow, pointedor covered with brass, and intended to damage an enemy uponcollision, was often in the shape of a wild beast, or helmet, oreven the neck of a swan. Below this was the rostrum or beak,which consisted of a beam armed with sharp and solid irons.They were at first above the water; but their efficiency was after-wards increased by putting them below the water-line and ren-dering them invisible. The commanding officer of the prow wasnext