[pnpgm] ships and archers

[John Stowman]

History

The first records of junks can be found in references dating to the Han
Dynasty <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Dynasty> (220 BC-200 AD).

[edit<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Junk_%28ship%29&action=edit&section=9>
] 2nd century junks (Han Dynasty)

The 3rd century book "*Strange Things of the South*" (南州異物志) by Wan Chen
(萬震) describes junks capable of carrying 700 people together with 260 tons
of cargo ("more than 10,000 "斛"). He explains the ship's design as follows:

 The four sails do not face directly forward, but are set obliquely, and so
arranged that they can all be fixed in the same direction, to receive the
wind and to spill it. Those sails which are behind the most windward one
receiving the pressure of the wind, throw it from one to the other, so that
they all profit from its force. If it is violent, (the sailors) diminish or
augment the surface of the sails according to the conditions. This oblique
rig, which permits the sails to receive from one another the breath of the
wind, obviates the anxiety attendant upon having high masts. Thus these
ships sail without avoiding strong winds and dashing waves, by the aid of
which they can make great speed
 —Wa Chen, [7] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_%28ship%29#cite_note-6>

A 260 AD book by Kang Tai (康泰) also described ships with seven masts,
traveling as far as Syria <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria>.
 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Qingming_Festival_Detail_6.jpg>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Qingming_Festival_Detail_6.jpg>
Detail of a ship on *Along the River During Qingming
Festival<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Along_the_River_During_Qingming_Festival>
*, by Zhang Zeduan <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Zeduan> (1085–1145).

[edit<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Junk_%28ship%29&action=edit&section=10>
] 10th-13th century junks (Song Dynasty)

The great trading dynasty of the
Song<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_Dynasty>employed junks
extensively. The naval strength of the Song, both mercantile
and military, became the backbone of the naval power of the following Yuan
dynasty. In particular the Mongol invasions of
Japan<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_invasions_of_Japan>(1274-1284),
as well as the Mongol
invasion of Java
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_invasion_of_Java>essentially
relied on recently acquired Song naval capabilities. The ship to
the wright's dimensions are 360 feet (110 m) by 110 feet (34 m) by 120 feet
(37 m)


  <http://www.stmaryscity.org/Virtual%20Tour/Waterfront/Waterfront.html>
<http://www.stmaryscity.org/Virtual%20Tour/Waterfront/Dove%20facts.html>
 [image:
Story] <http://www.stmaryscity.org/Virtual%20Tour/Waterfront/Journey.html>
<http://www.stmaryscity.org/Virtual%20Tour/Waterfront/Tradetravel.html>
       Facts
About
The *Maryland Dove*

*Captain:*   Will Gates

*Physical Dimensions:
*

   - Length Overall: 76 feet.
   - Length on Deck: 56 feet.
   - Length at Waterline: 51 feet.
   - Beam: Overall 17 feet.
   - Draft: 7 feet.
   - Displacement: 42 tons.
   - Height of Main Mast: 64 feet.
   - Sail Area (approximate): 1,965 sq. ft.

For comparison the first ship that I referenced earlier (the Dove) and again
above which had masts large enough to put people in the top of is less than
a 10th of the size of the several of the Roman and Chinese ships in fact the
2nd century junks above could have carried 6 of these as cargo.  More
importantly the Blue Moon is  72 feet long and can carry  80 tons of cargo
so it is also substantially larger than the Dove.


On Sat, May 23, 2009 at 8:31 PM, Alex Koponen <akoponen at mosquitonet.com>wrote:

> My understanding of the ships of the Perilous Lands is that they are late
> bronze age/early iron age designs, with the trireme being the latest
> greatest design. Basically these designs are too small to put men up top to
> shoot from bows. Some designs might have protected areas on the bow and
> stern to give some cover for the fighting men. It takes a large ship to need
> masts thick enough to mount a crows nest big enough to be a shooting
> platform. Frankly I don't think the technology of the Perilous Lands is to
> that point.
>
>      Alex
>
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