Page 43 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

Figure 1.16. Scandinavian and northern European cities mentioned by Witsen as centers of shipbuilding materials. The Dutch gave their own names to many towns: Drontem (Trondheim), Groenwijk (Grønvik), Holemstrant (Holmestrand), Koperwijk (Kopervik), Langezont (Langesund), Orgel-gront (Öregrund), and Vlecker (Flekkerøy), among others (Drawing by A. J. Hoving)
is measured by the hoet, a hoet being 28 bushels.
bushel is 8 gallons or the volume of 8 gallons.]
[A
combed and retted; ripe, to be judged by the stubbles; of a white-green color; not too thick nor too ne, the yarn is to be spun.
Rope is twisted from three strands, be they thick or thin.
Rope, which is laid too sti y, will easily crack, that which is laid too loose, is too brittle. [Witsen seems confused: loosely laid rope i s not brittle; it is weak and snaps easily.]
After the cable is laid as speci ed, it is al ways un- wound about four twists, so that it will lie better in the remaining twists, and will not snap from being wound too tight.
When one tars rope, it is importan t to watch that the tar is not too hot, and to let the rope suck in suf-
cient tar before removing it from the cauldron. When rope is stewed or heated , which is done to dry and enhance the penetration of the tar , it is im-
portant to watch, that the kiln is neither too hot nor too cold.
When stretching the yarns of w hich the rope is laid, pay attention that all yarns are strung at an even length and that w hen uneven they do not snap w hile laying.
Rope has to be dry when laid and spun.
When laying rope,menwithstickshelpthe
To test coal one tak es a handful , squeezes it strongly, and opens the hand , and if it falls apart on the hand, it is good, but if it sticks together in a lump, it is no good . Or if thrown in water and sinking, it is no good, because it has to be lik e fat, oating on the water at rst, to be good.
Hemp
Hemp was imported from Russia and Italy. These species of hemp h ad long fi bers, unlike the modern cultiv ated species. For the building of the replic a of the Batavia in Lelystad, long-fibered hemp h ad to be impor ted from Italy.30
(134 I 23) On rope and Hemp.
The Stays and main shrouds, as well as all standing rigging, are best made from Local hemp, as this does not stretch, yet it is somew hat coarser. Hemp from Italy is thought to be the best from which to lay rope, after which comes hemp from Riga, and Russian hemp is third in quality.
Hemp must be cleansed , and must not have been heated, when used for laying rope.
Hemp of ne ber yields the best rope; long, well-
Introduction
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