Antiques.

 
ANTIQUES 
 
 
There dwells a wife by the Northern Gate, 
And a wealthy wife is she; 
She breeds a breed o' rovin' men 
And casts them over the sea. 
 
And some are drowned in deep water, 
And some in sight o' shore, 
And word goes back to the weary wife 
And ever she sends more. 
 
Rudyard Kipling, "The Sea-Wife," 1893 

The sea both separates the continents and provides the means by which the world's peoples have mingled. Precariously bridging the gap is the sailing ship, among the most successful inventions of human ingenuity, which both baffles and harnesses the wind, mimicking the mutability of the sea itself.

At first when sails triumphed over oars, a large square sail was rigged on the mainmast while two smaller sails fore and aft gave the ship maneuverability. With time, more sails were added to increase performance, and rigging was honed during ever longer voyages of discovery. By early in the sixteenth century, the sailing ship had reached such technical sophistication that little remained but tinkering to meet new demands. The introduction of heavy guns for naval warfare and the need to transport larger cargoes faster led to stouter hulls and more masts for more sails.

When Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated the combined Franco-Spanish fleet off Cape Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, Britain was assured a maritime supremacy that remained unchallenged for a hundred years. Pax Britannica cleared most sea-lanes of pirates and hostile navies, making them safe for trade. Merchant ships no longer felt the need to carry cannon for protection, and regularly scheduled ...