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The
illustration on the right is of an Elizabethan galleon with a beak head
closely
resembling the galley, forecastle, and high poop. The amusing little
turrets, and the ornament, show how closely related the architecture
of the sea was to that of the land. The open stem galley is a new feature.
So far as rig is concerned, we now have a spritsail on the bowsprit.
The foremast and mainmast were square rigged, and the principal interest
is in the lateen sails on the mizzen and Bonaventure mizzen. Nettings
were used over the waist of the ship as a defence against boarders.
Sometimes the ends of the bowsprit, and yards, were provided with hooks
to catch in and cut the enemy's rigging when at close quarters. The
sails are shown with detachable bonnets laced on, which could be removed
instead of reefing. It was at this period that topmasts were ranged
so that they could be lowered.
Below
is the Ark Royal, drawn from a print at the British Museum. This fine
boat was built for Sir Walter Raleigh in 1587, but was sold to Queen
Elizabeth for 5000 pounds. She was
the flagship of the fleet which defeated the Armada, and as such, entitled
to our respectful consideration. Her tonnage was 800, and crew 400;
in 1608 she was rebuilt and named the Anne Royal. Froude gives us a
picture of the memorable council of war which was held in the main cabin
of the Ark on Sunday afternoon, August 8, I588. The Armada had been
chased up Channel, and if left undisturbed would have covered and been
ready for Parma and his troops at Dunkirk, so "Howard, Drake, Seymour,
Hawkins, Martin Frobisher, and two or three others met to consult, knowing
that on them at that moment were depending the liberties of England."
How they decided on fire ships, and the effect of these on the Spaniards'
nerves, is matter for abler pens than we possess; our main concern is
to show something of the appearance of the Ark. Her hull was still on
galley lines, and here it can be noted how the term quarterdeck came
about. There is, starting from the bows, first the forecastle, then
the waist of the ship; of the remaining part, the first half was called
the half-deck, the next portion the quarter-deck, because it occupied
roughly one-quarter of the space, the remaining portion aft was the
poop. The rig is the same as that described for the galleon, only the
mizzens are more liberally provided with lateen sails.
Information
and illustrations from A History of Everyday Things in England 1500-1799,
by Marjorie & C. H. B. Quennell

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