National Republican., 1883-06-12
THE "MoRA."

Magnificent ship Supposed 90 Have
Been Built i'm notwithstanding Facts.
Rear ADMIRAL @. n. Probe in ms United Srvice.
This was the vessel in which William tho
Conqueror embarked on the twonty-seventh
of September, and from which he landed in
England at Pevensey, near Hastings on the
twonty-oighth of September, 1906. She was
finely built and splendidly decorated, and
was presented to him as parting gift by his
Duchess Matilda. The sails were Of different
colors, which gave tho vessel very gay ap-
pearance. Upon them was painted in several
places, according to NJ. Thierry. the three
lions, which was the device of the Norman
ensign This seems, however, to be q mis-
take, since armorial ensigns were not intro,
duced until long after the period of the
conquest. At the bows of the ship was an,
oifgy or fgurehead, according to one ac-
count, representing William and his sec
ond son shooting with q bow. This
was the accomplishment which his.
father took most interest in seeing
his son acquire. The arrow was
drawn nearly to its head, indicating great
strength in the little arms which were gaid--
ing it, and it was just ready to fly William
made the Mora his flagship, and hoisted
at her masthead tho. consecrated banner
which had been sent him from Rome,
which was q square white banner charged
with gold cross within blue border. The
namo Mora is supposed to mean mansion,
or habitation. A picture of this vessel
is preserved in the Bayeux tapestry,
worked by the fair hands Of Matilda
herselfe She Is somewhat larger than tho,
rest of the fleet, and contains ten men; at
her stern is the eiligy of boy blowing horn
and holding in his left hand gonfanon,
while the prov is ornamented with lions
head. There is n contemporary manuscript
/ A.
Oxford. which, literally translated, reads,
Matilda, afterward queen, wifo
of the duke, in honor of tho said
duke caused a ship to be built called
Nora in which hewas conveyed ION the prov
of which ship the same Matilda caused a
golden boy to be placed, pointing to England
with his right forefinger, and pressing an
ivory horn to his mouth with his left hand.
In return for which tho duke granted to the
said Matilda the county of Kent Wace, an
other annalist, also places this figure of the
boy at the prov, while the picture on the
Bayeux tapestry undoubtedly places it at the
stern. WAGE speaks moreover, of gilt brass
vane and lantern at the top of the one
mast, but neither appear on the ship in the
tapestry. The sail in the tapestry is in three
stripes, red Tor brown, yellow, and red
Southey in his "Naval History" from what
| authority does not appear, calls the sails
crimson, says the pope's banner wagSyhite
ana speaks oil tho hgure OF the child with bow
and arrow. In the picture the helmsman holds
the sheet in one hand and the clavus in the
other. 1t does not appear which of the men
was intended for the duke unless it be tho
ono standing up with his arm around
the mast; but his dress is precisely like that
of the steersman and some of the crew.
Round the gunwhale on ono side thirteen
shield are placed, and supposing the Same
number on the other side, the vessel must
have carried more men than the fair artist
has introduced, and which may be safely
presumed. The captain of the Mora, who
was named Stephen Fitz Erard, was after
ward exempted from paying tax on his house
at Southampton. His son, 81 years afterward,
commanded the vessel in which the con
queror's grandson was wrecked on the coast
of Normandy.