hat she may carry out her guns in all weathers; fifthly,
she ought to hull well; sixthly, she should stay well when boarding or
turning on a wind if required." He then continues: "It is to be noted
that all ships sharp before, not having a long floor, will fall rough
into the sea from the billow, and take in water over head and ears; and
the same quality of all narrow-quartered ships to sink after the tail.
The high charging of ships is that which brings many ill qualities upon
them. It makes them extremely leeward, makes them sink deep into the
seas, makes them labour in foul weather, and ofttimes overset. Safety
is more to be respected than show or niceness for ease. In sea-journeys
both cannot well stand together, and, therefore, the most necessary is
to be chosen. Two decks and a-half is enough, and no building at all
above that but a low master's cabin. Our masters and mariners will say
that the ships will bear more well enough; and true it is, if none but
old mariners served in them. But men of better sort, unused to such a
life, cannot so well endure the rolling and tumbling from side to side,
where the seas are never so little grown, which comes by high charging.
Besides, those high cabin-works aloft are very dangerous, in that they
may tear men with their splinters. Above all other things, have care
that the great guns are four feet clear above water when all loading is
in, or else those best pieces are idle at sea; for if the ports lie
lower and be open, it is dangerous; and by that default was a goodly
ship and many gallant gentlemen lost in the days of Henry the Eighth,
before the Isle of Wight, in a ship called the _Mary Rose_."

These remarks show how attentively Raleigh had studied the subject of
shipbuilding and, undoubtedly, during his time great improvements were
made in the construction of ships of the Royal Navy. A large East India
ship of 1200 tons was also built at Woolwich, and was the first trading
ship of that size launched in the kingdom. The king called her the
_Trade's Increase_.

In 1622 the first established contract for victualling the Royal Navy
was made, and every man's allowance settled. It appears not to have
differed greatly from that served out at the present day, except that on
Friday fish, butter, and cheese were served out; showing that the Romish
custom of what is called fasting on Friday had not been abolished. The
king also gave annually 30,000 pounds worth of timbe