The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-23
~ m
Facts Collected by Nauti-
cal AntiQuary.
ChaldeanS Probably Navi-
gated Gulf OF Persia.
When the Sculptured Ships Figure
head Was introduced.

| Ihe nautical antiquary has very little
| data Co help him in his researches cover
ing the style and type of crafts used by
the ancients, and the ways of the men
whose business was upon the great waters
of old. The ships of Tarshish and Others
| mentioned in the Bible were undoubtedly
engaged in deep sea traffic before the
days of solomon, but all records relating
10 ships and scamen of prehistoric age
have long since been swallowed in the
womb of time. Tho first voyage men.
toned in tho Bible is that Of the sons of
Noah. The ark, the first vessel then
mentioned, was but "A floating house, 5l7
feet In length, about 81 feet beam, and
80 feet in height Its tonnage has been
vnriously estimated from i 600 TO as
high as ~, 600 tons Tho ChaldeanS, the
earliest historic nation, were doubtless
navigators of tho Persian Gulf, being
specially alluded to by Isaiah AS ''eXult-
ing In their Ships" The earlier Assyrian
sculptors show representations of boats of
reeds, and RATS of logs and inflated skins
while tho Phoenician models carried
sharp prows and high sterns.
Egypt thanks to her numerous monu-
ments, has preserved a more exact type
of her ships But although bordering on
the sea, her people hated and detested
the sea, regarding salt water as defillng,
and deemed il n disgrace 90 DC buried in
the sea- Mariners We're of the lower caste,
and only on the sacred Nile did they
develops maritime knowledge. Monu-
ments of 2S00-2000 b. G. represent ships,
and an inscription mentions war vessels,
one assisting 10 tow boats laden with
stone for the pyramids. One of the oldest
vessels shown OH the monuments has forty
oars, and was probably 100 feet long. Yes
sells were highly ornamented, the lotus
and sacred animals being painted on oar,
ruddor, Prov and stern, and the sails We're
sometimes embroidered and ornamented
in colors. The Romans, at first ignorant
of nautical matters, copied their models
from the Carthagenians and launched
large fleets improving and developing the
war vessel To great extent. lt was the
Romans who introduced the naval crown,
given TO him who first boarded an enemy :
ship; IL was "a circle of gold representing
the beaks of ships. At or near the water
line Of the Roman ships sharp prows were
added To serve as rams three or more be-
ing sometimes seen. The Romans also
added square towers TO the decks of their
ships, and employed military engines.
It is singular fact that upon the
Egyptian and Assyrian tablets no flags
are depicted upon the vessels; but in
place of % flag the sails show embroidered
devices, such as "a phenix, flowers, etc,
whence the sail bearing the device was
called mes, or ensign. a medal of the
time of Antihocus VII, King of Syria B.
c., l23, shows galley without mast or
sail, having a swallow tailed flag hoisted
on an ensign staff. The prophet Ezekiel,
whose prophecies date 600 years IL. c.,
comparing the maritime City of Tyre TO
one of the ships by which they carried on
their commerce, speaks Of her banner as
made of fine linen.
=
of an object fixed to the end of pole
and borno like the modern flag, but,
unlike 1t, not intended To wave or flutter
with the wind. The Egyptians used an
animal, the earlier Greeks piece of
armor RomulCs bundle of hay, his
descendants "a hand, and the latter
Romans an eagle. The crusaders on their
vessels made the cross favorite standard.
1t Is well known that signals were used
in the early Greek and Persian fleets by
means of the sails, certain meanings
being attached to the partial loosing of
one or more The exhibition of shields
in prominent positions and flaming fires
were also made use of. The origin of the
long and narrow pennant, or coach whip,
the designating mark Of captain or
officer in command Of government
vessel, was as follows
When Van Tromp, the Dutch admiral
hoisted n broom at his masthead to in
dictate his intention To sweep the English
from the sea, the English admiral hoisted
n horse whip, indicating his intention to
chastise the insolent 'Dutchman. Ever
since that time the narrow or coach whip
pennant has been the distinctive mark of
vessel of war, adopted by all nations.
The invention of standards Is attrib-
uted To the Egyptians, and one Of their
ancient symbols was AN eagle stripped of
its feathers-the emblem of the Nile.
Their grain ships carried corbita. or
basket, at their mastheads, as "a symbol
of their peaceful trade. The Normans,
when they sailed on warlike expedition
or celebrated victory covered their
vessels with flags, and IL was in this FASH
ion, SO an old writer states, that Rollo
brought his fleet back up the Seine,
covered with eco banners The Middle
Ages made use of all kinds of fanciful
decorations for their vessels.
Among the curious illustrations in the
British Museum are number showing
the manner of carrying flags at sea- Some
of the vessels have man -at-arms in the