One of the oldest vessels, and at the same time one possessing characteristics supposed to be essentially modern, is the Arab dhow. It is as old as the days of Alexander the Great in its chief features, and in the fineness of the lines of its hull, its seaworthiness, and its general handiness is not unlike the Viking ships, and is equal to anything of similar size that the average modern builder could produce with the same materials. They are employed in gun-running, smuggling, and the slave trade, when, more legitimate cargoes are lacking or not sufficiently remunerative. The Siamese were among the Eastern nations who took kindly to the sea, and were able to use their warships to some effect. Thus, about two hundred and fifty years ago, when a European power, depending upon its superior strength, took forcible possession of the island of Junk Seylon, the King of Siam of that day ordered the “immediate building of six warships, each carrying ten guns with pattaroes, and well manned and fitted with small arms.” These vessels were built in one month, and this emergency mobilisation and the fighting orders were all to be obeyed under penalty of death and forfeiting of estates, the latter penalty being added no doubt to prevent the expectant heirs of a warrior depriving his majesty of the latter’s services. CHAPTER III THE INTRODUCTION OF ARTILLERY, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF WARSHIPS TO THE APPLICATION OF STEAM FOR NAVIGATION Sails having proved their superiority over oars as a means of propulsion, and sailing ships with seaworthy qualities being fairly numerous, the world was ready for a great revolution in naval warfare. The warriors also were about equally divided in the matter of attack and defence in hand-to-hand encounter. When man first became dissatisfied with his own strength for hurling weapons at his foes he set to work to devise a means of overcoming this difficulty. His earliest weapon for this purpose was most likely the sling. Bows and arrows held their own in land and sea warfare for many centuries. Various forms of catapults were introduced by the Romans and others, and remained in use for some hundreds of years for hurling heavy stones into the partly decked ships of their opponents to sink them. The mysterious liquid known as Greek fire, the use of which has already been explained, was, in the method of its employment, a form of artillery. It was to the naval warfare of those days what the explosive shell is to modern warfare.