The lesson of rigging strain had to be learnt with the iron clippers, just as it had had to be with the early wood clippers, but it was not long before the seas were crowded by perfectly sparred iron ships. Specially worthy of mention for perfection of sail plan were Carmichael’s beautiful main skysail clippers, such as the _Golden Fleece_, _Jason_, _Mermerus_, _Thessalus_, _Argonaut_ and others. Double topsail yards were followed before very long by double topgallant yards, then came the eclipse, and the seas became covered with stump topgallant mast horrors and that pathetic sight, the full rig ship masquerading as a barque. I give a mainyard table, which may be of interest as showing the development of width in sail plans. MAINYARD TABLE. +-------+-----------------------+-------+------+--------------------+ |Length | | | | | |of | | | Date | | |Mainy’d| Ship |Tonnage| Built| Description. | |in feet| | | | | +-------+-----------------------+-------+------+--------------------+ | 120 |_Great Republic_ | 3357 | 1853 |American 4-mast | | | | | | barque | | 108 |_British Ambassador_ | 1794 | 1873 |British iron “jute” | | | | | | clipper | | 102 |_Preussen_ | 5081 | 1902 |German 5-mast ship, | | | | | nitrate clipper | | 100 |_Royal Sovereign_ | 1637* | 1637 |Brit. 1st rate | | | | | | man-of-war | | „ |_Daylight_ | 3756 | 1902 |Brit. steel 4-mast | | | | | | barque. Oil tank | | „ |_James Baines_ | 2515 | 1854 |“Black Ball” pass. | | | | | | clipper | | „ |_Donald Mackay_ | 2598 | 1855 |“Black Ball” pass. | | | | | | clipper | | 96 |_Prince Royal_ | 1187* | 1610 |Brit. 1st rate | | | | | | man-of-war | | „ |_Glory of the Seas_ | 2103 | 1869 |Amer. “C. Horn” | | | | | | clipper | | 95 |_Lightning_ | 2084 | 1854 |“Black Ball” pass. | | | | | | clipper | | „ |_Champion of the Seas_ | 2448 | 1854 |“Black Ball” pass. | | | | | | clipper | | „ |_Royal Charter_ | 3000 | 1855 |Brit. full-rigged | | | | | | auxiliary | | „ |_Roanoke_ | 3559 | 1892 |Amer. wood 4-mast |