Having Thus Given A Sketch Of The Progress Of Discovery, And Of Commercial
Enterprize By Sea And Land, Among Those
Nations who were the most early in
directing their attention to these points, we shall next proceed to an
account
Of the navigation and commercial enterprizes of the Greeks and
Romans; and as in this part of our work we shall follow a more strictly
chronological arrangement, the navigation and commercial enterprizes of the
Carthaginians will be incidentally noticed in the order of time to which
they belong. Before, however, we proceed to this subject, it may be proper
to enter more particularly and fully than we have hitherto done, into a
description of the construction and equipment of the ancient ships, since,
so far as relates to the ships of the Greeks and Romans, we possess much
more ample materials for such a description, than history supplies us with
respecting the ships of the other nations of antiquity.
The traditionary story of the Phoenicians, that one of their heroes was the
first man who had the courage to expose himself upon the waters, in a half
burnt tree, stript of its branches, has already been noticed. It is
probable, however, that the first vessels had not even so much resemblance
to our present boats: indeed, conjecture, as well as history, warrant us in
believing that rafts were the most ancient mode of conveyance on the water;
and even in the time of Pliny they were extensively employed, especially in
the navigation of rivers.
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