people. These restrictive laws necessarily diminished the value of their trade.
Genoese vessels.
Details of contract, with the ship-*builders.
Although there are no drawings extant of the
vessels of the Genoese during the thirteenth century
on which any reliance can be placed, they were as
skilful and even more daring in the management
of them than the Venetians; and that they were
equally conversant with the art of ship-building is
certain, from the fact that, in 1268, when Louis IX.
king of France contracted with the Venetians for
some ships, he also contracted with the Genoese for
some others. Of these, two are thus described by Mr.
F. Steinitz, from the contracts given at length in the
work of M. Jal.[1] "These," he says, "were alike."
They were each, by the condition of the contract,
"to have thirty-one cubits of keel, and fifty cubits of
extreme length, with 40-1/2 palms of beam. The depth
of the hold was 17-1/2 palms; of the first deck, nine;
of the second, eight; and of the parisade, five palms.
Each ship had a large boat, two barges, and a
gondola, or small boat, and two rudders (one on each
side), nine palms long; the fore-mast was fifty-one
cubits in length, and 12-3/4 palms in circumference.
The main-mast was forty-seven cubits long, and 11-3/4
palms in circumference. The fore-yard, which was
made of three pieces of different lengths, seems to
have exceeded one hundred cubits; and the main-yard,
which was made of two pieces, to have been four
cubits shorter. There was also a separate yard, of
the same length as the main-yard, for the 'velon,' a
large sail, the nature of which has not been exactly
ascertained; but as it had a separate yard, it may
- ↑ F. Steinitz, "The Ship: its origin and progress," p. 101.
