The Meaning of the Atlantic : (i^j 



efforts and ingenious inventions. To begin with an elemental matter 

 directly connected with the ocean itself, it is interesting to observe 

 that practically every type of ship known to man and all the major 

 uses of ships and most of the improvements for the mechanical pro- 

 pulsion of ships had their origin in Atlantic ports and their first use 

 in Atlantic waters. The most noticeable exception to this general 

 rule is the Chinese junk which already in the days of Marco 

 Polo (thirteenth century) was a very large and elaborate vessel used 

 both in the transport of goods and of persons. Apparently it had an 

 independent development in the Orient, as did also the outrigger 

 canoe and its special development the flying-outrigger. 



Successive developments in the types of Atlantic ships have 

 brought successive changes in the character and continuity of human 

 history. Improvement in ship design or construction or management 

 has brought a larger sphere of the world within range of Euro- 

 pean influence. At first these were slight changes that resulted merely 

 in knitting the shores of Europe closer together across such bodies of 

 water as the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the North Sea and the Irish 

 Sea. Iceland, Greenland and the shores of America came within 

 range. Then a succession of improvements heralded the century of 

 major world exploration and laid the foundation for the collection 

 and construction of a coherent knowledge of the whole world. 



It is perhaps self-evident that the Atlantic ports have been the 

 scene of departure of the greatest adventures and explorations. We 

 are not equally aware that from such ports have departed the great 

 migrations of human history from the days of Hanno and Himilco 

 down to the days of the "transatlantic ferry." There are many fasci- 

 nating matters to consider, some of which seem so far to have re- 

 ceived relatively little attention. Such are the relationship between 

 the growth of population in Europe and transatlantic travel; the 

 relationship between the development of practical, portable firearms 

 and the development of world-wide navigation; the relationship be- 

 tween transatlantic travel and transport and the development of 

 political and economic freedom on both the European and the Amer- 

 ican shores of the Atlantic. 



The Atlantic has also been the highway for expansion of the arts 

 and sciences. The originators and proponents of many discoveries, 

 inventions and beliefs have found it easier to cross the Atlantic than 

 to step across an international boundary Une in Europe from one 

 country into another. 



The pictures of the land and water hemispheres and the resultant 



