The Greek Inhabitants Of Egypt Were The Carriers Of The
Mediterranean, As Well As The Agents, Factors, And Importers Of Oriential
Produce.
The cities which had risen under the former system sank into
insignificance; and so wise was the new policy,
And so deeply had it taken
root, that the Romans, upon the subjection of Egypt, found it more
expedient to leave Alexandria in possession of its privileges, than to
alter the course of trade, or to occupy it themselves.
We possess scarcely any notices respecting the construction and equipment
of the Egyptian ships. According to Herodotus, they were made of thorns
twisted together, and their sails of rush mats: they were built in a
particular manner, quite different from those of other nations, and rigged
also in a singular manner; so that they seem to have been the mockery of
the other maritime states in the Mediterranean. But this description can
hardly apply to the Egyptian ships, after they had become powerful at sea,
though the expressions of Herodotus seem to have reference to the Egyptian
ships of his age. There can be no doubt that the vessels that navigated the
Nile, were very rude and singular in their construction; and most probably
the description given by the historian ought to be regarded as exclusively
confined to them. They were built of the Egyptian thorn, which seems to
have been very extensively cultivated, especially in the vicinity of
Acanthus: planks of small dimensions were cut from this tree, which were
fastened together, or rather laid over one another, like tiles, with a
great number of wooden pins: they used no ribs in the construction of their
vessels: on the inside, papyrus was employed for the purpose of stopping up
the crevices, or securing the joints. There was but one rudder; whereas the
ships of the Greeks and Romans had generally two; this passed quite through
the keel. The mast was made of Egyptian thorn, and the sail of papyrus.
Indeed, these two plants appear to have been the entire materials used in
the construction and rigging of their ships. They were towed up the Nile,
as they were not fit to stem its stream, except when a strong favourable
wind blew. Their mode of navigating these vessels down the river was
singular; they fastened a hurdle of tamarisk with a rope to the prow of the
vessel; which hurdle they strengthened with bands of reeds, and let it down
into the water; they also hung a stone, pierced through the middle, and of
a considerable weight, by another rope, to the poop. By this means, the
stream bearing on the hurdle, carried down the boat with great expedition;
the stone at the same time balancing and keeping it steady. Of these
vessels they had great numbers on the river; some very large.
III. The Jews were still more averse than the Egyptians to intercourse with
foreigners, and maritime and commercial enterprises; indeed, their country
was comparatively ill-situated for maritime commerce.
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