all the shops of this Den of Thieves with gold, silver, pearls, amber, spices, drugs, silks, cloths, velvets, &c., whereby they have rendered this city the most opulent in the world: insomuch that the Turks call it, not without reason, their India, their Mexico, their Peru."[54] [Illustration: GALLEY RUNNING BEFORE THE WIND. (_Jurien de la Gravière._)] One has some trouble in realizing the sort of navigation employed by Corsairs. We must disabuse our minds of all ideas of tall masts straining under a weight of canvas, sail above sail. The Corsairs' vessels were long narrow row-boats, carrying indeed a sail or two, but depending for safety and movement mainly upon the oars. The boats were called galleys, galleots, brigantines ("_galeotas ligeras o vergãtines_," or _frigatas_), &c., according to their size: a galleot is a small galley, while a brigantine may be called a quarter galley. The number of men to each oar varies, too, according to the vessel's size: a galley may have as many as four to six men working side by side to each oar, a galleot but two or three, and a brigantine one; but in so small a craft as the last each man must be a fighter as well as an oarsmen, whereas the larger vessels of the Corsairs were rowed entirely by Christian slaves. [Illustration: STAGES IN BUILDING A GALLEY. (_Jurien de la Gravière._)] [Illustration: PLAN AND SECTIONS OF A GALLEY. (_Jurien de la Gravière._)] [Illustration: _Caique._ _Canoe._ HOLD OF A GALLEY. (_Jurien de la Gravière._)]