The old high poop-decks and
quarter galleries disappeared with the lateen and the lug-sails
on brigs, barks, and ships; the sharp stem was permanently
abandoned; the curving home of the stem above the house poles
went out of vogue, and vessels became longer in proportion to
beam. The round bottoms were much in use, but the tendency
toward a straight rise of the floor from the keel to a point
half-way to the outer width of the ship became marked and
popular. Hollow water-lines fore and aft were introduced; the
forefoot of the hull ceased to be cut away so much, and the
swell of the sides became less marked; the bows became somewhat
sharper and were often made flaring above the water, and the
square sprit-sail below the bowsprit was given up. American
ship-builders had not yet learned to give their vessels much
sheer, however, and in a majority of them the sheer line was
almost straight from stem to stern; nor had they learned to
divide the topsail into an upper and lower sail, and American
vessels were distinguished by their short lower mast and the
immense hoist of the topsail. The broadest beam was still at
two-fifths the length of the hull. Hemp rigging, with broad
channels and immense tops to the masts, was still retained; but
the general arrangement and cut of the head, stay, square, and
spanker sails at present in fashion were reached. The schooner
rig had also become thoroughly popularized, especially for small
vessels requiring speed; and the fast vessels of the day were
the brigs and schooners, which were made long and sharp on the
floor and low in the water, with considerable rake to the
masts."

Such is the technical description of the changes which years of peril and
of war wrought in the model of the American sailing ship. How the vessel
herself, under full sail, looked when seen through the eyes of one who was
a sailor, with the education of a writer and the temperament of a poet, is
well told in these lines from "Two Years Before the Mast":

"Notwithstanding all that has been said about the beauty of a
ship under full sail, there are very few who have ever seen a
ship literally under all her sail. A ship never has all her sail
upon her except when she has a light, steady breeze very nearly,
but not quite, dead aft, and so regular that it can be trusted
and is likely to las