papyrus; but, being prejudiced against the sea, because it swallowed up their sacred river, which they were accustomed to worship as a god, they never attempted to construct vessels adapted to marine navigation.

1. THE earliest notice we have of the | added a mast of acanthus, and a sail of construction of a building to float on water, is that which relates to Noah's Ark. This was the largest vessel that has ever been built, and the circumstance proves that the arts, at that early period, had been brought to considerable perfection: yet, as several centuries had elapsed, after the flood, before the descendants of Noah had much occasion for floating vessels, the art of constructing them seems to have been measurably lost.

2. Early records, which perhaps are worthy of credit, state that the Egyptians first traversed the river Nile upon rafts, then in the canoe; and that, to these succeeded the boat, built with joist, fastened together with wooden pins, and rendered water-tight by interposing the leaves of the

papyrus. To this boat was, at length,

3. The Phoenicians, a nation nearly as ancient as the Egyptian, being situated directly on the sea, without the advantages of a noble river, were compelled to provide means for sailing on a wider expanse of water. It is said, however, that they first traversed the Mediterranean, and even visited distant islands, with no better means of conveyance than a raft of timber. This is rendered somewhat probable, from the fact, that the Peruvians, even at the present time, venture upon the Pacific Ocean

on their balza, a raft made from a spongy tree of that name.

7. The general size of vessels in the best days of antiquity, was not greater 4. The vessels first constructed by the than that of our sloops and schooners; but Phoenicians, were used for commercial there are instances on record, which prove purposes: they were flat-bottomed, broad, || that they occasionally equalled in capacity and of a small draught; and the Car- the largest of modern times. In the early thaginians and Greeks likewise adopted ages, they were very small, and, for sevethis general shape. The ships of war, in || ral centuries, were drawn upon the shore early times, were generally mere row- at the termination of every voyage. Strandboats, in which the combatants rushed ing, however, became impracticable, after upon each other, and decided the combat the increase in size, and the addition of the by valour and physical strength. keel. The anchor and cable were there5. By successive improvements, the fore invented, to confine the ship at a suitships of antiquity were, at length, brought || able distance from the shore. At first, the to combine good proportion with consider- anchor was nothing more than a large able beauty. The prows were sometimes stone: afterwards, it was wood and stone ornamented with the sculptured figures of || combined; and finally, iron was the sole the heathen deities, and otherwise adorned material. with paint and gilding; while the sterns, which were usually in the form of a shield, were elaborately wrought in carved work. The approved length of a ship of war, was six or eight times its breadth; and that for mercantile purposes, four times the breadth: hence, the distinction of long ships, and round ships.

6. Both the long and round ships had a single mast, which could be taken down or elevated at pleasure. These vessels were, however, propelled with oars on occasions that required it; and the former, in their improved state, were properly galleys with one, two, or three banks of oars, which extended from one end of the vessel to the other. The rowers were all placed under the deck; and, in time of battle, the combatants contended above, being in part defended from the missiles of opposing foes by shields, and additionally by screens and towers covered with raw hides. The bow of each vessel was armed with a brazen or iron beak, with which the contending parties often stove in the sides of each other's vessels.

8. The invasion of the Roman empire by the northern barbarians, caused the operations of war to be almost exclusively conducted on the land: this, together with the destruction of commerce during the general desolation of those ruthless incursions, and the barbarism of the conquerors, occasioned a retrogression, and, in some parts of Europe, nearly the total destruction of the art of building ships.

9. The active trade which arose in the Mediterranean, during the middle ages, and the naval enterprises connected with the Crusades, occasioned a revival of the art of constructing ships; yet, it did not advance beyond the condition in which the Carthaginians had left it, until about the middle of the fourteenth century. At this era, the inconsiderable galleys of for mer times began to be superseded by larger vessels, in which, however, oars were not entirely disused.

10. The great change in the general* construction of vessels, arose from the discovery of the polarity of the magnet, and the application of astronomy to nautical

pursuits; for, by these means, the mariner was released from his dependence on a sight of the land, in guiding his vessel on its course. Larger ships were therefore constructed, capable of withstanding the power of more violent storms and loftier

waves.

11. To the Italians, Catalans, and Portuguese, was ship-building most considerably indebted, in the early days of its revival. The Spaniards followed up their discovery of the New World with a rapid improvement both in the form and size of their ships; some of which even rated at two thousand tons burden. In more modern times, it is said, that the Spaniards and French are entitled to the credit of nearly all the improvements which have been made in the theory of the art; the English having never contributed essentially to advance it, although the greatest naval power of this or any other time.

oak, pine, chestnut, locust, and cedar. The trees of mature growth are chosen, and girdled in the beginning of winter, at which time they contain but little sap: when sufficiently dry and hardened, the trees are felled; and, after the timber has been roughly hewn, it is carefully stored in some dry, airy place, not much exposed to wind or sun.

15. In collecting ship-timber, the greatest difficulty is found in procuring the crooked sticks, which form the sides or ribs of the skeleton of a vessel. In countries where ship-timber has become an object of careful cultivation, this difficulty is anticipated by bending the young trees to the desired form, and confining them there, until they have permanently received the proper inclination. The timber is brought to market in its rough state, and sold by the foot.

16. The timber having been selected, the workmen proceed to fashion the various parts of the proposed vessel, with

12. In the United States, very great improvements have been made in the construction of vessels, since the commence-appropriate tools, being guided in their ment of the present century. Our builders, however, are less guided by scientific rules than by experience and a practised eye; yet, it is generally conceded, that our ships of war and first-rate merchantmen, are superior, in swiftness and beauty, to those of any other country.

operations by patterns, which have been made after the exact form of the various parts of the model. Much care is taken to avoid cutting the wood contrary to the grain, that its strength may not be impaired.

17. After all the parts of the frame have been made ready, they are put together. The several blocks of timber on which the vessel is raised, are called the stocks; and to these pieces, the foundation, called the keel, is temporarily fastened, in an inclined position. The keel is inserted into the stern-post at one end, and into the stem at the other. The floor-timbers are next fixed in the keel, every other one being there firmly bolted and riveted. Each of these timbers is a branch and part of the body of a tree; and, when composing a part of a vessel, they bear the same rela

21. The vessel is now ready to be removed from the stocks to the water. This removal is called launching, which, in many cases, requires much skill_in_the|| a ship, brig, hermaphrodite brig, schooner, preparation, and successive management. If there is no permanent inclined plane in the slip, on which the vessel may glide into the water, a temporary one is prepared, consisting of two platforms of solid