SAILING CRAFT 53 



Meanwhile the quickened interest in ' sea 

 affairs ' had led to many improvements in 

 building, rigging, and handling vessels. Sur- 

 prising as it may seem, most of these im- 

 provements were made by foreigners. Still 

 more surprising is the fact that British nautical 

 improvements of all kinds, naval as well as 

 mercantile, generally came from abroad during 

 the whole time that the British command of 

 the sea was being won or held. Belated imita- 

 tion of the more scientific foreigner was by no 

 means new, even in the Elizabethan age. It 

 had become a national habit by the time the 

 next two centuries were over. English men, 

 not English vessels, won the wars. The 

 Portuguese and Spaniards had larger and better 

 vessels than the English at the beginning of the 

 struggle, just as the French had till after 

 Trafalgar, and the Americans throughout the 

 War of 18 12. Even Sir Walter Raleigh was 

 belated in speaking of the ' new ' practice of 

 striking topmasts, ' a wonderful ease to great 

 ships, both at sea and in the harbour.' 



