3. A great change took place in Henry's reign in the kind of warship chiefly built. Before his time the warship was usually a kind of long boat, called a galley, propelled by oars. But when cannon came into use, it was found advisable to build larger vessels, and substitute sails for oars, just as in the reign of Queen Victoria sails had to give place to steam. The change, however, was gradually wrought, and oared galleys held their ground, as a secondary force, to the end of Henry's reign. 4. The early Tudor ships were, of course, far from perfect. They had towering castles both at bow and stern which made them top-heavy. Their rigging also was too unwieldy for stormy weather, and made it unsafe to keep the sea in winter. The fate of that "flower of ships," the _Mary Rose_, shows how easily vessels of the time were upset. Coming out of Portsmouth Harbour, on her way to join in battle with the French, her crew were tacking her, when she heeled over and rapidly sank, carrying with her some 400 soldiers and 200 sailors. 5. Some of Henry's ships were evidently of large dimensions. The _Great Harry_, for instance, was of 1000 tons, and carried twenty-three great guns, some of which were loaded with shot weighing at least thirty pounds. Besides his great ships, Henry built smaller ones, called pinnaces; and fast, handy sailing ships they proved. Guns also of all sizes and patterns, bronze and iron, were cast in his reign, many of them little inferior to those in Nelson's time. 6. In the early years of Henry's reign, his ships were armed principally with small guns for use as mankillers, rather than for damaging the hull or rigging of the enemy's ships. The aim in a sea-fight, at that time, was for each ship to get on the windward side of the enemy, and then sail down with the wind to ram its adversary and board her, if she did not sink with the collision. Only on getting quite close were the guns discharged, and at the moment of boarding the stones, lances, and other implements of war in the castles, "fore and aft," were brought into play. A sharp fight then ensued on the enemy's deck, the boarders being either driven back into their own ship, or left in possession of their prize. 7. The whole object in this mode of fighting was to close with the enemy as quickly as possible. But before the end of Henry's reign a great change of tactics had taken place. Henry was one of the first to perceive that a great advantage would be gained by the introduction of heavy guns. Larger ships were, accordingly, built and the lower decks furnished with port-holes, thus enabling them to carry two tiers of guns.