Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-07-14

It acas destroyed in vengeance and in blood
The burning Of It's temples and palaces
lasted seventeen days, and Of the 200, 900
inhabitants at the opening of the siege,
but $4,000 remained alive. And such the
fate Of the second maritime people!
In commencing this sketch ! intended to
bring the subject along to the time Of
Columbus; but have given so much space
to the first two sailor tribes that we must
hurry over tie other aacienis sesmen in
order to reach the Christian era, leaving
the medievals to possible future chapter.
History of the Greeks is so mixed with
apparent mythology that one can hardly
be sure of what he knows OF them. Greece
is said to have been settled about the time
of Abraham, and her people early became
sailors: a. much, or more, for piracy as
for legitimate trade. They practiced fall
ing upon any unprotected town, riding it
OF everything worth taking often includ-
ing the people for slav~s amt regarding
the act as glorious. Later they became
monopollzed the trade of the Egean and
Euxine; as colonies they settled what are
now the well-known ports Of Smyrna and
Constantinople, and they controlled the
lellespont and the Bosphorus Sicily was
colony of theirs ana they Sttled Mar
>ellles and some places in Africa. They
were the first nation TO send consuls to
foreign ports. The Etruscans, contcm.
porsry with the Carthaginians. were sail
ors and shIpbuilder-; aid tcfore they
were swallowed up by the Romans they
had considerable navy. The early Egypt
ians had no taste for seamanship and as
before mentioned, they long feared to ad-
NIT strange vessels. But something more
than COO Il. c., Psammetichus freely
opened the ports and favored shipping.
They had no material for shpbuildng,
and the timber, iron and copper were
brought from Phpnicia. His successor.
Pharaoh Necho, the same who Is written
OF in Kings % aud -, and II Chrou
35 and 36-had 400 ships upon both seas.
and he attempted canal like the modern
Suez. Like solomon, he employed Tyrian
sailors, aud 1t is written that he sent an
doubtful.
After Alexander conquered the country
II increased as maritime province and
after his death and the government tell
into the hands of native rulers, they also
fostered aud encouraged shipping and
each succeeding ruler added 10 its navy
and maritime trade
Alexandria, after the fall Of Carthage,
became the greatest sea port In ,he world.
The sailors and shipping merchants were
less native than foreign-largely Greek
and Phenician. The ships were large and
numerous and sailed every sea then known.
1t is said that one ship, built fer them in
Sicily, carried a crew OF 400 men, and
the description of il SIZE and equipment
is quite beyond reasonable belief Re
cordcrs Of many ancient events have left
in thSir works a suspicion OF e1aggera-
tion.) The plans for building launching
and managing this ship were from Archi- |
nedes, and said to have taxed hs utmost
powers Of invention.
Cleopatra added 400 vessels ID the fleet |
Of Mark Antony: and when thy< y<battls Of +,
:, r.a.Ia iu~t .h. rr-v,tss.d from
to India by tno ArsS>- having |
burned a feet belonging TO her on the Red |
sea.
A. the country again fell into the hands
Of the Romans, shipping was cared for and
upheld The Romans introduced the sys-
tenn Of marine insurance As they reached |
the zenith Of their power they became the
lnquestioned rulers, and largely monopo-
lists Of all maritime trade. And while they
ruled the seas and the earth the Son Of
man came.
EI NASIAskET.