OCEAN, THE UNIVERSAL HIGHWAY 205 



by camel if it had been possible. I was much sur- 

 prised by his answer that, compared with the desert 

 journey, this easeful progress was akin to being already 

 in Paradise. Now, I had thought that the condition 

 of those pilgrims more closely approximated to the 

 antipodes of Paradise ; but, of course, much depends 

 upon the point of view. 



For a very long time we cannot speak more 

 definitely than that, and it does not really matter, the 

 followers of that first involuntary navigator did not 

 get beyond his initial mode of propulsion. Paddles 

 or oars were the only means whereby the hollowed 

 logs could be moved along. And here, again, progress 

 must have been hindered for centuries, awaiting the 

 coming of the inventor of sails. Since labour might 

 be had for the taking, what easier than to impress a 

 crew of fellow-savages, given the necessary power, and 

 make them paddle or row ? I wonder how many oars- 

 men, leisurely propelling their boats with a beauteous 

 lady-love at the stern pretending to steer, spend a 

 thought over the fact that they are indulging in 

 almost the earliest form of marine propulsion; that 

 what they are doing was done by the most primitive 

 seafarers, and that the oar for ages remained the only 

 way of getting a ship along ? Doubtless the sail came 

 when some genius, having lost all, or nearly all, his 

 rowers, noticed that the wind was pushing his vessel 

 along, and was suddenly struck with the idea of 

 sticking the unused oars up on end with the flats 

 of their blades disposed so as to catch the wind. 

 From that to sails was a comparatively short step, 

 determined only by the ease or difficulty of getting 

 material whereof sails might be made. 



