« Vitr. 10.3 | Vitr. 10.3 | Vitr. 10.4 | About This Work »
5Thus also the steersman of a merchant ship, holding the tiller which the Greeks call οἴαξ with only one hand, by the situation of the centre moves it in a moment as the nature of the case requires, and turns the ship though ever so deeply laden. The sails also, if only half mast high, will cause the vessel to sail slower than when the yards are hoisted up to the top of the mast, because not then being near the foot of the mast, which is as it were the centre, but at a distance therefrom, they are acted on by the wind with greater force.
« Vitr. 10.3 | Vitr. 10.3 | Vitr. 10.4 | About This Work »