In 1596, a 200-last ship carried only 24 guns; one of 150 lasts carried 17 and one of 100 lasts had only 16 on board. In 1616, 36 guns were mounted on a ship of 200 lasts; 28 on a ship of 120 lasts, then, in 1628, mention is made of a ship of 200 lasts armed with 39 cannon. (~De Jonge~, Vol. II, p. 396.) Aside from the better arrangement for the guns, the increase of the artillery itself necessitated arming the forecastle and the poop. About 1639, the iron guns were replaced, to a great extent, by others of bronze, which allowed a greater number of pieces to be taken on board (~De Jonge~, Vol. I, p. 400), but these pieces were lacking in unity of calibre and volume. The later adoption of guns of more nearly equal calibre greatly increased the fighting value of the ships. However great the progress made by our fleet may have been, it was still always inferior to the part imposed on it by a naval war. Hence it became finally a necessity to build war vessels properly so called and to give up fitting out merchant ships. Sixty new war ships were laid down in 1653. This first war fleet constructed in our country set sail in 1658. So the old mediæval custom, which consisted in appropriating merchant vessels to make them serve as men of war, became a thing of the past. But this fleet was not sufficient by itself, and merchantmen had to do duty as transports. This is why these latter kept guns on board for their own defence. [Sidenote: II 146] The war ships mentioned above were called pinnaces and were made with a square stern as well as a large beakhead. Tromp’s flagship, the _Aemelia_ was a pinnace model. [Sidenote: III 8] [Sidenote: III 9] [Sidenote: II 150] The fleet was increased in a very short time, in 1664, by sixty new square-stern vessels. (~De Jonge~, Vol. II, p. 25.) The main point in view in building these ships (~De Jonge~, Vol. II, p. 27) was to provide our navy with vessels which, _so far as our passes and ports would allow_, should be at least as large and as powerful as those of the enemy. By reason of the depth of water in the passes, the number of their guns was placed at 60 to 80. Among these vessels, which were launched in 1665, was Van Ruyter’s well known ship _De Zeven Provinciën_. For economical reasons, most of the ships carried iron as well as bronze guns; but Van Ruyter’s flagship had all bronze guns. The following figures will give some idea of the increasing dimensions of ships. In 1654, the largest ship measured 150 feet in length, 38 feet beam and 15 feet depth; it carried 58 guns. The next in size was 146 feet long, 26 feet beam and 14 feet deep; it carried 60 guns. At the beginning of the second war with England, the two largest ships were 169 to 171 feet long. _De Zeven Provinciën_ 163 feet long, 43 feet broad and 15 feet deep. The next in size was 150 to 160 feet in length, 40 to 42½ feet in breadth and 15 feet in depth, etc.