asses of vessels used by the Vikings. One of
them was discovered, in 1867, at Haugen, but by far the most important
was found in 1880, at Gogstad, near Sandefjord, at the entrance of the
Fjord of Christiania. Though this vessel is comparatively small, she
is, probably, a correct representative of the larger type of ships made
use of by the renowned adventurers of the North in their distant
expeditions.

In view of the great interest attaching to this find, a detailed
description of the vessel is given. The illustrations (Figs. 22 to 26),
showing an end elevation, longitudinal and cross-sections, and the
half-plan with her lines, are taken from the "Transactions of the
Institution of Naval Architects."[13] The boat was clinker-built and
wholly of oak. Her principal dimensions are: length, 77 ft. 11 in.;
extreme breadth, 16 ft. 7 in.; and depth, from top of keel to gunwale, 5
ft. 9 in. The keel is 14 in. deep, the part below the rabbet of the
garboard or lowest strakes of the planking, being 11 in. deep, and 4-1/2
in. thick at the bottom. The width across the rabbet is 3 in., while the
portion above the rabbet and inboard is 7 in. wide. The keel and stem
and stern-posts run into each other with very gentle curves. The keel
itself is 57 ft. long, and to it are connected, by vertical scarves and
a double row of iron rivets, the forefoot and heel-pieces, which latter
are fastened in a similar manner to the stem and stern-post. These posts
are 15 in. deep at the scarf, gradually tapering upwards. The framing of
the bottom is formed of grown floors resting on the top of the keel, and
extending in one piece, from shelf to shelf, as shown on the transverse
section (Fig. 23). There are nineteen of these floors in all, spaced in
the body of the boat, on the average 3 ft. 3 in. apart. They are 4 in.
in diameter at the garboard strake, and taper in both dimensions, so
that they are less than 3 in. at the shelf. They are not fastened to the
keel. The planking is put on clinker fashion. There are sixteen strakes
a side, the breadth of each, amidships, being on the average 9-1/2 in.,
including the land of 1 in., and the length of planks varies from 8
ft. to 24 ft. The thickness is generally 1 in. The tenth plank from the
keel is, however, 1-3/4 in. thick, and forms a kind of shelf for the
beam-ends. The third plank from the top is 1-1/4 in. thick, and is
pierced with 4-in. holes for the oars, of which there are sixteen on
each side. Th