The flutes were known as good sailers. Their slender construction gave little hold for the wind; they carried three masts and the well known rigging of the XVIIth century. Those which went for grain in the Baltic Sea, were rather smaller than the others; they were called “Oostvaerders” or “Oostervaerder”. Their dimensions were: length, 125 feet; beam, 25 feet; depth, 12 feet; or else: 115, 23½ and 11½ feet; or again 100, 22 and 11 feet; and carried cargoes respectively of 200, 150 or 100 “lasts.” (1 last = 2 metric tons). Most of them had no beakhead. Some idea of the importance of our traffic with the Baltic Sea can be formed when it is stated that, in 1604, 400 “Oostvaerders” were lying at the same time in front of Amsterdam. In less than a fortnight they were unloaded, reloaded and ready to retake the sea. (~Witsen~, p. 448.) The “Noordvaerders” or “Noortsvaerders” were also flutes, but two feet deeper than the “Oostvaerders”, because more space was needed for loading the wood (~Witsen~, p. 160) which they had gone to seek in Norway. Their beam was, as a rule, one-fifth of their length. They were massive and solid like the “Oostvaerders”. (~Witsen~, p. 53.) but had no beakhead. When the continual wars are considered, the vessels trading with the Baltic Sea had smaller crews than those trading with the West. (~Witsen~, p. 160.) THE KATSCHIP. [Sidenote: II 217] The “Katschepen” are descended from the “boeier” and the “fluit”. They are therefore vessels of marked curves. As they were often used in shoal water the bottom was very flat and, furthermore, it was very angular all around the edge. They were known as poor sailers, but they carried a large cargo. ~Witsen~ says (p. 163) that their slowness earned for them the name of “asses” rather than that of “kats”. It had no beakhead; there were a forecastle, and a cabin. The tiller, which was manœuvred underneath the cabin, had no extension bar. These vessels were built most generally of pitch-pine. All the types mentioned above have the stern of a flute, that is to say: they are square sterned, which is characteristic of the old Dutch naval construction. THE OOST-INDISCH COMPAGNIESCHIP. [Sidenote: II 151] [Sidenote: III 11] The pinnace gave the “Oost-Indisch Compagnieschip” (ship of the East India Company). Its stern was rounded. As a merchant ship, it was heavily armed and was often used as a man-of-war in case of need. The plate of our album showing this vessel gives a good idea of the form and construction, hence, more detailed explanations are superfluous. Let it be mentioned only that the stern is very much ornamented, that there is a beakhead and that the length of the deck is greater than that of the “flutes.” It carried three masts and the ordinary sails and rigging. [Sidenote: II 159]