Page 205 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

(which sometimes happens on ships making long voy- ages,suchastotheEastIndies),theyusuall ylower all ags, only leaving the jack, or ag of the spritsail topmast.
. ..
(272 II 15) On their voyages ships are usuall y given two ags, two jacks, two pennan ts and 6 streamers. Besides the usual ags named above, the Admiral is given a ag of 12 cloths, and one of 9 clothes, one or two jacks, and also one or two pennan ts, a white ag, a blue pennant, a red pennant, a yellow pennant; and such to signal.
(272 II 36) Of the mizzenmast, in merchan tmen, one often nds ags, on which the hometown of the skip- per is drawn: and on the foremast, the arms of the hometown, of the owners of the ship.
Flags are for decoration, for splendor, in which the Dutchmen can be said to be the least outstanding [ . . . ] The content of the ags is without law, and every-
one draws on it, what he likes. . ..
133. Flags
Flags not only served to indicate the direction of the wind; they were also me ant for orn amentation and to s ignal or salute. Dutch ships were not elaborately ornamented with carvings and paintwork, but the dimensions of their flags were enormous.
The flags were made of flag cloth, woven at a width of three fourths of an ell (52 centimeters). A nine-cloth flag was thus 4.68 meters wide and 5.85 meters long.
Besides the ordin ary flags there were penn ants (cer- tain types of which were al lowed only on the admir al’s ship), vanes attached to a vane stock, and forked flags.
A flag could indicate a number of things: the w ish to parley, a dead man aboard, and w ar or peace. A flag in- cident was the immediate cause of the First Anglo-Dutch War.
134. Paintwork
The ship is pain ted with snak es and monsters to one’ s own taste. Each will choose the
paint, which pleases him. Y ellow and red are much chosen, but also w hite; above, to the sides, clouds are made, or a pain ted Heaven, a sea and all sorts of implements of war. The tampions, closings of the guns are made red or w hite. The Cabin is sometimes painted all over on the inside with presen t-day his- tory. The port lids are red on the inside, and also the washstrakes and the waistcloths, w hich are stretched around the ship; w hen in battle, often cloth or baize is used therefore. Ships are also gilded and sil vered: but this excess is practiced by foreigners, rather than by Dutchmen.
. ..
Ships are caulked for the sake of durabil- ity: because thus the water does not creep through the seams and cracks. This is done with old oakum, hair and moss, which, after having been driven in, must be
On the aforesaid ship, shown in this book, a ag ies in the top: which is done for decoration only,
without intending to designate a rank. . ..
(272 I 45) The Men-of-War of this coun try, of the rst and second Rate [Certer], have ags of 15 cloths,
long 18 ells, Jacks of 6 cloths, long 7 ells: long pen- nants of25 or30ells:shortpennan ts of5or4 1⁄2 cloths, and 4 ells long.
The ships of the third Rate, have ags of 12 cloths, long 15 ells; jacks of 6 cloths, long 7 ells: Pennants as above: Streamers of 4 or 31⁄2 cloths, long 3 ells.
(269 II 52)
How Ships Are Built in Holland Today
(282 I 14)
1 Red Flag of 8 cloths.
1 White Flag of 8 cloths.
1 States Flag of nine cloths. 1 States Flag of 71⁄2 cloths. 1 States Flag of 6 cloths.
1 Jack of 41⁄2 cloths.
1 Top spindle.
6 New Streamers.
The ships of the fourth and same, as those of the third rate, in jacks and streamers.
The ships of the sixth rate have
long 10 ells: jacks of 41⁄2 cloths, long 5 ells. The pen- nants are 2 5 ells. The streamers are 3 1⁄2 or 3 cloths, and 21⁄2 ells long.
The ships of the seven th Rate have ags of 7 1⁄2 cloths, long 9 ells: jacks of 3 cloths, long 4 ells: pen- nants of 25 ells, and streamers of 3 or 2 1⁄2 and 2 ells long.
fth Rate, are the ags, pennants,
ags of 9 cloths,
(274 II 48)
(267 II 18)
187