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Evolution of the Frigate:
As is the case with most nautical terms, the meaning of "frigate" has changed over time. The word originated in the Mediterranean in the 15th Century. By the 17th, it described long, fast, lightly armed vessels. The classic frigate of the Napoleonic Wars, evolved from small two-decked vessels of 40 to 60 guns. In heavy seas, the lower deck guns could not be used because of the threat of shipping water and capsizing. By stretching the vessel, which would help make it faster, the ship could mount a battery almost as powerful as that on a small two decker. And, by eliminating the guns on the lower deck, the full battery could be employed in most sea states. Two of the models here portray stages in the development of the early 19th Century frigate.
East Indiamen:
From 1600 until its demise in the 1850s, The Honourable East India Company ruled a vast empire in the Far East, with armed outposts (factories) located throughout India, China, and the East Indies. These were visited regularly by specially designed ships known as East Indiamen.
Although they outwardly resembled Navy warships, British East Indiamen were in fact armed merchant ships whose primary mission was not to fight battles, but rather to carry precious cargoes of spices and other exotic goods such as tea, silk, and porcelain from the Orient back to England. Their impressive-looking armament provided adequate defense against pirates and privateers, but their small crews and light guns made them no match against enemy men-of-war.
Schooners:
There were many variations in the schooner rig. All had two masts with fore- and aft-main sails ("courses"). Topsail schooners additionally set square topsails on one or both masts. The design originated in North America and gained fame as the "Baltimore clippers" or the War of 1812. Quick and nimble, the vessels were frequently used as privateers and slaves as well as cruisers ana dispatch vessels in American and European navies. |