1907, Feb. 12.--American steamer Larchmond sunk in collision off Rhode Island coast; 131 lives lost. 1907, July 20.--American steamers Columbia and San Pedro collided on the Californian coast; 100 lives lost. 1907, Nov. 26.--Turkish steamer Kaptain foundered in the North Sea; 110 lives lost. 1908, March 23.--Japanese steamer Mutsu Maru sunk in collision near Hakodate; 300 lives lost. 1908, April 30.--Japanese training cruiser Matsu Shima sunk off the Pescadores owing to an explosion; 200 lives lost. 1909, Jan. 24.--Collision between the Italian steamer Florida and the White Star liner Republic, about 170 miles east of New York during a fog; a large number of lives were saved by the arrival of the steamer Baltic, which received the "C. Q. D.," or distress signal sent up by wireless by the Republic January 22. The Republic sank while being towed; 6 lives lost. 1910, Feb. 9.--French line steamer General Chanzy off Minorca; 200 lives lost. 1911, Sept. 25.--French battleship Liberte sunk by explosion in Toulon harbor; 223 lives lost. CHAPTER XXVI. DEVELOPMENT OF SHIPBUILDING EVOLUTION OF WATER TRAVEL--INCREASES IN SIZE OF VESSELS--IS THERE ANY LIMIT?--ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPEED--TITANIC NOT THE LAST WORD. THE origin of travel on water dates back to a very early period in human history, men beginning with the log, the inflated skin, the dug-out canoe, and upwards through various methods of flotation; while the paddle, the oar, and finally the sail served as means of propulsion. This was for inland water travel, and many centuries passed before the navigation of the sea was dreamed of by adventurous mariners. The paintings and sculptures of early Egypt show us boats built of sawn planks, regularly constructed and moved both by oars and sails. At a later period we read of the Phoenicians, the most daring and enterprising of ancient navigators, who braved the dangers of the open sea, and are said by Herodotus to have circumnavigated Africa as early as 604 B. C. Starting from the Red Sea, they followed the east coast, rounded the Cape, and sailed north along the west coast to the Mediterranean, reaching Egypt again in the third year of this enterprise. The Carthaginians and Romans come next in the history of shipbuilding, confining themselves chiefly to the Mediterranean, and using oars as the principal means of propulsion. Their galleys ranged from one to five banks of oars. The Roman vessels in the first Punic war were over 100 feet long and had 300 rowers, while they carried 120 soldiers. They did not use sails until about the beginning of the fourteenth century B. C.