THE AGE OF BRONZE 
Of course, canoes were also poled and towed, or 
“tracked”; but paddling represented the best means of 
propulsion that man could devise for many thousands of 
years. At length, however, some bright mind hit upon the 
scheme of using the boat itself as a fulcrum, and the oar 
was born. A very primitive form of rowing, in some ways 
intermediate between paddling and true rowing as we 
understand it, still survives in parts of China. Here the 
oarsman stands up, facing forward, just as in paddling, 
and wields an oar slung to an upright peg on the edge or 
gunwale of the boat. He therefore pushes instead of pull- 
ing his oar, and so fails to exert his strength to the fullest 
advantage. Another method, very common in Far East- 
ern waters and also used by the gondoliers of Venice, is 
that of sculling. Here the oar, instead of being held more 
or less at right angles to the side of the boat, is nearly 
parallel to it, and 1s moved to and fro through the water 
somewhat as a fish moves its tail in swimming. But, 
where the oarsman, facing backward, pulled at the oar 
instead of pushing it, he could “put his back” into his 
stroke, utilizing all his strength and weight to the best 
advantage. 
Before man reached this stage of propulsion, however, 
he had taken another epoch-making step forward which 
greatly increased his mastery over his environment. He 
had invented the sail. So long as he could progress over 
the water only by means of his own strength, sea travel 
labored under a serious handicap. A large canoe or boat 
had to carry a numerous crew of paddlers in order to 
secure enough man-power. This meant more mouths to 
feed and at the same time less room for provisions and 
cargo. 
But when some genius found that by raising a mat or 
piece of cloth on a pole he could sit at ease in his boat, 
guiding it by a stroke of the steering paddle now and then, 
while the breeze did all the work for him, the whole com- 
plexion of affairs changed. Then the crew could be greatly 
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