From Sail to Steam 17 



of Nelson's days. The beam of the 

 galley was roughly from one-third to 

 one-fourth of her length, but this has 

 been gradually altered in the ship until 

 the average now is about one-tenth. 



You may be sure there was a good 

 reason for building the ancient galleys 

 in this beamy fashion. We find it due 

 to the desire to have vessels which would 

 not break their backs in a heavy sea. 

 The strength of wood is very limited, 

 and this our forefathers fully realised. 

 Only within the last eighty years, or so, 

 has the ship grown in length, due mainly 

 to the coming of iron and steel. 



From the galley to the galleon of the 

 Spanish Armada came a steady growth 

 with the same practical lines as regards 

 hull the galleon being simply in effect 

 a huge galley. On the galleys miniature 

 castles were erected at either end for 

 the fighting men to do their part, and 

 these castles became greatly exaggerated 

 in the ships of the Spanish Armada, 





