Shipbuilding from its beginnings. Vol. 1 (of 3)Konijnenburg, E. van (Emile)
History
Shipbuilding from its beginnings. Vol. 1 (of 3)
Konijnenburg, E. van (Emile)
Shipbuilding -- History; Ships -- History
The “bommen” were still able in the XIXth century to render good
service as coast guards. There is nothing to prove that they existed
in Witsen’s time; the contrary is more likely, as this author does not
mention them. He merely says that, beside the “Egmonderpinken”, other
and much smaller fishing boats were seen on the beach and that they
carried only fore and aft sails. If these boats had differed much in
shape from the “pinken”, it is to be believed that mention of the fact
would have been made. (See ~Witsen~, p. 168, 2d column.)
[Sidenote: II 187]
The artist who reproduced the Zeeland “cog” has left also the drawing
of a “Doghboot” which also came from Zeeland (~Witsen~, p. 170, 2d
col.) and which resembled very much this “cog”. The stem is a little
longer, the “statie” is not closed and the vessel has no convex hatch
covers. The rig only differs entirely from that of the “pink” and
everything leads to the belief that this kind of boat came from the
South.
[Sidenote: II 189]
[Sidenote: II 188]
The same artist gives a figure of a “Heude” or “Heu” from Brabant,
which might be called a small Zeeland “cog”. Still, there appear to
have been larger “Heudes”, judging by the Brussels “Heu” which was a
vessel carrying two pieces of artillery, but of which the reproduction
does not give the means for determining the shape of the ship.
It will be well to note here that great circumspection should be used
in the matter of these different names adopted to designate such or
such vessel. These names have been the cause of much confusion, an
example of which is offered by the famous discussion which took place
at Groningen, in 1902-1903, as to the question of knowing what a “pram”
was.
The crusades, which began in 1096, contributed largely toward
perfecting the ship. It was the same with the invention of the compass
in the first half of the XIIIth century (~Holmes~, p. 66). Commerce and
navigation rose higher and higher. Already in the course of the XIIIth
century, Damme became the ware house of Northern Europe. Italy, Spain
and France brought their products there.
The old maritime customs of Damme served later as the basis of maritime
law in Holland, Northern Germany (~M. Koenen~, p. 50), Sweden and
Denmark.
The XIIIth century saw commercial treaties concluded with the Hanseatic
cities and, in 1252, tariffs were fixed (~M. Koenen~). “Losbogen,
scharpoise, eenvaren” (boats with high sides) and “hekbooten” are in
question in these tariffs; and these names are also found in an act
made between the Lords of Kuyck and of Dordrecht to settle a difficulty
concerning the city duties at the former of these towns.
Among the “losbogen”, are found the boats which were unloaded at the
bow or “booge”, as is still done with vessels which carry wood.
The boats used on the Scarp, a tributary of the Scheldt, are placed
among the “scharpoises or exarpoises”.
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