66 ALL AFLOAT 



as long, from the middle of the seventeenth 

 century to the middle of the nineteenth. It 

 thus covered one century under the Fleurs-de- 

 lis in Canada and another under the Union 

 Jack. It also exactly corresponded with the 

 long era of the famous British navigation laws, 

 of which more will presently be heard. During 

 this period sails were improved in size, cut, and 

 setting. The changes can be described only 

 in technical language. Jibs became universal 

 adding greatly to handiness in general and the 

 power of tacking in particular. Four sails were 

 used on a mast — main, top, topgallant, and 

 royal. Naval architecture was greatly improved 

 especially by the French. But this improvement 

 did not extend to giving the hull anything like its 

 most suitable shape. The Vikings were still 

 unbeaten in this respect. Even the best foreign 

 three-deckers were rather lumbering craft. 



The third era began with the introduction 

 of the clippers about 1840, and will not 

 end till deep-sea sailing craft cease to be 

 a factor in the world's work altogether. 

 It was in this present era, when steamers 

 were gaining their now unquestioned victory, 

 and not during previous eras, when steam 

 was completely unknown, that sailing craft 

 reached their highest development. Sails in* 



