OCEAN, THE UNIVERSAL HIGHWAY 203 



survived the terrible ordeal, and made their permanent 

 home in the land to which they had come for the best 

 of all reasons they couldn't get away any more. 

 Yet from such beginnings as these, the outcome of 

 pure accident, the art of navigation had its rise, 

 although among most of the nations it never reached 

 a scientific stage. Aboriginal navigation in its most 

 advanced stages may be witnessed to-day in Polynesia, 

 on the Indian and African coasts, and very often the 

 elaborate construction of the vessels, by the most 

 primitive of tools, compels admiration ; but as far as 

 the navigation of the deep sea is concerned, they have 

 stood still for more thousands of years than any one 

 can reckon. But they hold fast to the great discovery 

 that journeying by sea has many great advantages 

 over travelling by land, not the least of which was 

 that it was universal territory, that given means of 

 propulsion and guidance, both of which were far easier 

 of attainment at sea than ashore, long journeys might 

 be made far more expeditiously by sea than by land. 

 There was also far less chance of meeting with hostile 

 forces prepared to dispute the passing of travellers, 

 and ready to take from them, if strong enough, all 

 that they possessed, including their lives, or, what was 

 much more precious, their liberty. 



This discovery of the ocean as a universal highway 

 was, perhaps, the greatest factor in the making of 

 history of which we have any record. Once it had 

 gained firm hold upon the minds of men the develop- 

 ment of navigable craft was bound to follow, no matter 

 how long the period of evolution might be. The 

 initial step had been taken, the mysterious terrors 

 of the unknown expanse of waters had been met and 



