746 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[May 9, 1908. 
us some details of those Venetian “ships^ all 
of which were propelled by oars, however. “The 
bottoms were somewhat flatter than those of our 
vessels,” he says. “The better to adapt them to 
the shallows and to enable them to withstand 
without danger the ebbing of the tide. Iheir 
bows, as likewise their sterns, were very lofty 
and erect, the better to bear the magnitude of 
the waves and the violence of the tempests. 
The hull of each vessel was entirely of oak to 
resist the shocks and assaults of that stormy sea. 
The benches for the rowers were made of strong 
beams of about a foot in breadth and were fast¬ 
ened with iron bolts an inch thick. They fast¬ 
ened their anchors with iron chains instead of 
cables, and they used skins and a sort of thin 
pliant leather for sails, either because they be¬ 
lieved that canvas sails were not so fit to bear 
the stress of tempests and the rage and fury of 
the winds, and to drive ships of that bulk and 
burden.” 
We do not get a very definite idea of the size 
of those vessels, but judging from illustrations 
of them it is exceedingly doubtful if they were 
ever close-hauled or sailed to windward at all 
without the aid of oars. Indeed, the lofty bows 
and toppling quarters themselves would prohibit 
such an effort’s success, and it is more likely 
that sails in those days were only used as aux¬ 
iliary, or at times when the winds were fair. 
Christ was not born until fifty-five years after 
this, and even the chain cables went out of use. 
These were not again resorted to for ground 
tackle until the nineteenth century—hempen 
cables having been exclusively employed for 
more than a thousand years. Some two hun¬ 
dred and eight years after the beginning of 
Christianity the Roman “ships” had only one 
mast, stepped in the middle of the tub, one 
square sail and one bank of oars. Amidships 
some were without decks, while others had full 
decks and low poops. The after oars on each 
side were twice the width of any others in the 
bank suggesting their utilization for steering pur¬ 
poses. The plans of such vessels do not show 
a rudder or any other form of independent steer¬ 
ing apparatus. Now let us compare these wash- 
tubs with some of the Carthaginian fleets at 
different stages of their existence—more than 
three hundred years before history begins in 
earnest, or with accurate knowledge. Agrigen- 
tum had fallen about 210. Carthage, however, 
“was still mistress of the sea.” Rome had 
nothing to match “the great five-banked vessels 
of the enemy.” Fortunately one of these came 
into the possession of the Romans, having 
stranded, and this “they used as a model.” In 
a few weeks they had a hundred five-banked and 
twenty three-banked vessels. 
At Lipara. where the new squadron went into 
action for the first time, seventeen vessels were 
captured by the Carthaginians. “Still, the 
greater experience of their seamen would have 
given them the advantage but for the device” 
used in boarding. “It was a gangway, eighteen 
feet long and four feet broad * * * attached to 
a pillar of wood set up by the bowsprit, from 
which it was dropped, when two ships came in 
contact.” The outboard end “was furnished with 
a sharpened bar of iron, which was driven by 
the force of the fall into the enemy’s deck and 
held it fast.” This simple invention held the 
vessels together so that superior numbers 
boarded the Carthaginian ships and won victory 
after victory. Hannibal was finally crucified. 
Xantippus changed Carthaeinian fortunes. 
Sparta was the best school of soldiers in those 
days, and he was a native of that famous coun¬ 
try. Horace, in his famous ode. tells us in a 
few words how it went after that: 
“O mighty Carthage, rearing high 
Thv fame upon our infamv, 
\ city eye. an empire built 
On Roman ruins, Roman guilt.” 
We can form an idea of the relative size of 
ships when we read that fifty vessels transported 
a garrison of ten thousand men to relieve be¬ 
sieged Lilvbreum. This gives us two hundred 
men to each vessel besides her crew which might 
have numbered ten or twelve. This sies"e is 
remarkable for having been “one of the most 
obstinate” on record. It was about the year 
249. “The ships were clumsy, the seamen un¬ 
skillful. Claudius suffered a crushing defeat. 
Most of the crews became prisoners of war or 
were drowned during a storm which ensued. A 
few ships left in port took fire. “Rome was 
now without a fleet. She made another effort 
in 241. “Some of the richest undertook to build 
each a ship, or two or three of smaller means 
would join together. Thus a fleet of two hun¬ 
dred five-banked vessels were got together. ’ 
They were “of the very best” in design and con¬ 
struction. The engagement which ensued led to 
peace, and so, after a duration of four and 
twenty years, the first punic war came to an 
end.”' , , 
Carthage, according to this author, reached 
the altitude of her prosperity during midsummer 
of the year 216. Hannibal approached the im¬ 
perial city of his enemy. “Then only, if even 
tljen, she might have been the mistress of the 
world.” * * * 
“She had lost her dominions, but not her 
trade. Her warships had been destroyed, but 
not the ships of her commerce, and she had 
always in her treasury the gold with which to 
hire new armies. Only twenty years had passed 
since the conclusion of peace when she offered 
to pay up at once the balance of the indemnity 
which was to have been spread over fifty years. ’ 
Rome took the alarm clock down and wound it. 
Old Cato, the narrow-minded and timid "states¬ 
man,” who had served throughout the second 
punic war, was sent to investigate. On his re¬ 
turn he said: “This people is stronger than 
ever.” He laid a bunch of ripe figs before his 
auditors. “The country that bears these,” he 
cried, as the senators admired the beautiful fruit, 
“is but three days’ journey from here.” And 
he voted that the greatest commercial emporium 
of the earth ought to be destroyed. It is more 
than uncertain that he ever officially said, “it 
must be.” He was a cunning knave .and used 
better arguments than words of coercion. 12 But 
whenever “punic faith” is mentioned he ought 
to be quoted. Rome was already rotten. Car¬ 
thage was not. Therefore, in all of his subse¬ 
quent “spouts” he advocated the latter city’s de¬ 
struction, no matter how foreign to his subject 
such advocacy happened to be. Similar sophis¬ 
tries have issued from the imperial city in later 
times, and some strange events are matters of 
historic record in consequence. 
Hannibal, in the meantime, had heard the 
facts “and resolved to fly.” At Cercina “the 
harbor happened to be” filled with merchant¬ 
men “and the risk of discovery was great,” so 
that he continued his escape, first inviting the 
ship captains to a great entertainment, request¬ 
ing that they “lend their sails and yards for the 
construction of a tent. The revel was long and 
late.” Hannibal was gone long before it was 
over, “and the dismantled ships could not be 
made ready for several hours.” In this extract 
the historian discloses the fact that there were 
vessels large enough to dispense with oars. The 
trouble is, "however, not so much as regards size, 
but rig for the average historian cannot dis¬ 
tinguish and, indeed, many of them do not know 
a ship from a tarpot. Hannibal commanded a 
fleet in 192. Fie had equipped it also and was 
successful wherever he commanded in person. 
Rhodes, however, then a great naval power, de¬ 
feated him with the weight of her superior num¬ 
bers. Caesar was on his way to that famous 
island when he was captured by Cilician pirates 
who detained him thirty-eight days. They de¬ 
manded a ransom of thirty talents, $30,000. They 
laughed and told them they would ask fifty 
talents if they knew who he was. At Delos he 
disembarked and paid the $50,000. He warned 
them, saying he would hang every one if he 
ever caught them. They were scarcely out of 
sieht before he had organized a small fleet and 
sailed in pursuit. They were soon his prisoners, 
and true to his word every man was executed. 
Rome seems not to have entertained any pre¬ 
dilection for the sea, and after the siege and 
fall of her great maritime enemy she abandoned it. 
12 “Centerum censeo. Cartnsvnem esep delpudum.” were 
the words he used. Translated, it reads: “I vote more¬ 
over. that Carthage must be destroyed.” . 
“Delenda est Carthago” he probably never used in 
formal debate. 
The following yachts have been sold through 
the agency of Stanley M. Seaman, 220 Broad¬ 
way, New York. 
Elenor. Geo. F. Sawyer, Jr., Boston, Mass., to 
Frank Hughes, Passaic, N. J. She is now in 
Boston, will be fitted out and used in Buzzard’s 
Bay, where her new owner has a summer home. 
Dione, Tarrant Putnam, Secretary N. Y. Y. 
C.. to Mr. G. H. Gudebrod, Greenport, N. Y. 1 
Launch Dorothy, F. Riker, to J. A. Hogg, 
New York. 
Cruising launch Lobster B, C. L. Barker, 
Chicago, Ill., to M. P. Gould, New \ ork. 
Presto II., J. R. Blake, to A. R. Archer. 
*». « * 
Com. John B. Palmer, of the Knickerbocker 
Y. C., has sold his fast little sloop Naiad and 
expects to have another larger sloop before the 
racing season opens. 
Canoeing. 
A. C. A. Fixtures. 
May 16-17.—Atlantic Division Cruise.—Hackensack 
River. 
May 29-31.—Eastern Division Racing Meet.—Horn Pond, 
Woburn. Mass. 
May 30-31.—Atlantic Division Cruise.—Delaware River. 
June 13-14.—Atlantic Division Cruise.—Rancocas Creek. 
July 10-24.—Western Division Camp.—Spring Lake, 
Grand Haven. Mich. 
July 11-19.—Atlantic Division Camp. — Plum Point, 
Cornwall-on-Hudson, N. Y. 
-.—Central Division Cruise and Camp.—Alle¬ 
gheny River. 
Aug. 7-21.—A. C. A. Camp.—Sugar Island, St. Lawrence 
River. 
Sept. 5-7.—Atlantic Division Camp.—Hermit Point, Hud¬ 
son River. 
- —.—Central Division Cruise and Camp.— 
Allegheny River. 
HOW TO JOIN THE A. C. A. 
Article III. of Constitution.—Membership.—Any gen¬ 
tleman over the age of eighteen, and a competent swim¬ 
mer may become an active member of this Association 
fourteen (14) days after his application has been an¬ 
nounced by the treasurer in one of the official organs 
of tite Association, and approved, as provided. 
(Note: Forest and Stream is the official organ.) 
Chapter I. of By-Laws—Membership.—Sec. 1. Applica¬ 
tion for membership shall be made to the treasurer, and 
shall be accompanied by the recommendation of an 
active member and by the sum of two dollars, one dollar 
as entrance fee and one dollar as dues for the current 
year, to be refunded in case of non-election of the ap¬ 
plicant. 
Treasurer—S. B. Burnham, Box 23, Providence, R. I. 
Officers of the Divisions and secretaries of the various 
clubs are requested to forward dates chosen for -camps, 
cruises, club openings, regattas, and other items of 
interest for publication. The selection of dates well in 
advance may prevent clashing at times. 
A. C. A. Membership. 
NEW MEMBERS PROPOSED. 
Atlantic Division—John M. Palmer, Jr., 4 
Washington Terrace, West 186th street, New 
York city, by Fred W. Baldwin. 
Central Division—Grover M. Parker, 78 St. 
James street. Buffalo. N. Y.; H. J. Dixon, 
Warren, Pa., both by E. A. Phillips; Lucius C. 
Litchfield, 164 Crescent Ave., Buffalo, N. Y., by 
F. S. Thorn; E. M. Olin, care of Westinghouse 
Electric & Mfg. Co., East Pittsburg, Pa., and 
Robert M. Tennant, care of Union Switch & 
Signal Co., Swissvale, Pa., both by H. D. James. 
Western Division—Charlie Tisell. 1707 7th 
street. Rockford, Ill., by Andrew Berg. 
NEW MEMBERS ELECTED. 
Atlantic Division—5515. Walter L. Fink, 505 
West 158th street. New York city. 
Central Division—5507, N. C. Sill, Warren, 
Pa.; 5508. R. G. Chapel, Box 874. Warren, Pa.; 
5509,"William R. Rogers. Warren. Pa.: 5510. 
Alfred L. Schellhammer Warren, Pa. 
Eastern Division-—5511, Edward S. Rhodes 
Providence, R. I.; 5512 , Arthur A. Rhodes 
Providence, R. I.; 55 U- Thomas H. Rhodes 
Providence, R. I.; 55 ! 4 - Leonard M. Graves, 31 
Summer St., Providence, R. I. 
applicant for reinstatement. 
Atlantic Division—Leonard C. Ketchum. 
In the list of A. C. A. officers recently pub 
lished the address of Purser John S. Wrigli 
was incorrectly given. It should be Willow 
bank place, Rochester. N. Y. 
I 
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