XXll 
APPENDIX. 
have been designed, appear to have been of the same form ; but 
the various ends of navigation, some of which were better answered 
by one form, some by another, soon gave occasion for a distinction, 
not only in point of size, but also in the mode of construction and 
equipment. 
Without attempting to enumerate every trifling alteration, we 
may state generally, that the vessels of the ancients were divided 
into three classes — ships of burthen, of war, and of passage ; and 
these again had their several distinctions into other classes and sub- 
Managemerit of 
the vessels. 
Number of banks 
of oars. 
divisions. Ships of burthen were usually of an orbicular form, 
having large and capacious hulls for the convenience of stowage ; 
whereas, ships of war were of a greater length in proportion to their 
size, as we find to be the case at the present day. Transport ves- 
sels were of a form between the ships of war and of burthen, being 
more capacious than the former, and longer than the last-mentioned 
species. 
There was at the same time a difference in the managetnent of 
the vessels enumerated. Men-of-war, though not wholly destitute of 
sails, were chiefly managed with oars, that they might be more able 
to tack and manoeuvre in light or contrary winds, and to lay them- 
selves alongside the enemy to advantage ; while the other two species 
were commonly governed by sails, and vessels of transport were 
towed, when it was practicable, with ropes. All three modes of go- 
vernment (by sail, oar, and tow-rope) were, however, occasionally 
adopted by each of the classes. The rowers were not placed, as some 
have imagined, upon the same level in different parts of the ship, nor 
perpendicularly above each other’s heads ; but their seats, being fixed 
one at the back of another, ascended gradually in the manner of 
stairs. The most usual number of these banks was three, four, and 
five, composing what are called trireme, quadrireme, and quinqui- 
reme galleys ; the second of these having a range of oars more than 
the first, and the third a range more than the second — the height 
of the vessel always increasing in proportion to the number of ranges. 
In primitive times, the long ships had only one bank of oars ; and 
