GRECIAN SHIPS. 



71 



passed appears to have been covered with leather, which also 

 extended a little way outside the hole. In vessels mounting five 

 ranks of oars, the upper ones were of course much larger than 

 the lower ones, and we therefore find it stated by Greek authors 

 that the lower rank of rowers, having the shortest oars and con- 

 sequently the easiest work, received the smallest salary, while 

 those who had the largest oars and the heaviest work received 

 the largest salary. They sat upon benches attached to the ribs 

 of the vessel, each oar being managed by one man. 



The masts of Grecian vessels, of which there were one, two, 

 and three, were usually made of the fir-tree. A vessel with 

 thirty rowers had two masts, the smaller being near the prow. 

 In three-masted vessels the largest mast was nearest the stern. 

 The part of the mast immediately above the yard formed a 

 structure similar to a drinking-cup, and the sailors ascended into 

 it in order to manage the sails, to obtain a wider view, and to 

 discharge missiles. In large ships these were made of bronze 

 and would hold three men : they were furnished with pulleys for 

 hoisting stones and projectiles from below. The portion of the 

 mast above the cup, or carchesium, was called the distaff", and 

 corresponded to the modern topmast. The sail was hoisted, as 

 at present, by means of pulleys and a hoop sliding up and down 

 the mast. 



The sails were usually square. It was not common to fur- 

 nish more than one sail to one ship, and it was then attached 

 with the yard to the great mast. Sometimes each of the two 

 masts of a trireme had two sails, which were spread the one over 

 the other, those of the foremast being used only on occasions 

 when great speed was required. It does not appear that the 

 triangular or lateen sail, so prevalent afterwards among the 

 Romans, was ever used by the Greeks. In Homer's time, sails 

 were of linen. Subsequently, sail-cloth was made of hemp, 

 rushes, and leather. Originally white, the sails of the ancients 

 were afterwards dyed of various colors. Those of Alexander's 



