THE ROUND SHIP

A round ship, also known as a merchant ship, has a deep hold for merchandise. It is an oared vessel with a heavy, permanent rigging. It is generally two-masted and the masts are not removable. It also has more sail than a war ship. The main mast is a bit forward of amidships and the foremast is some four or five yards abaft of the ship's yoke. Both are lateen sails and the yard of the foresail is about half the length of the yard of the mainsail. The rowing areas is closed to the air and commonly carries from one to two hundred or more slaves in the rowing hold. Slaves commonly row in round ships though some cities have begun to experiment with using free men. A round ship is not actually round but has a much wider ratio of its beam to its length of keel, about one to six. A war ship will have a one to eight ratio. Round ships are slower and less maneuverable than war ships but can still be used in a naval battle. They do not carry rams but their decks can hold numerous other ship weapons like springals and catapults. Round ships differ among themselves considerably. They can be broken down into three basic categories: light galley, medium class, and heavy class. A medium class ship can freight about 100 to 150 tons below its decks. A merchant ships is commonly identified with their name at three points on the ship, starboard bow, port bow, and stern. (From Luther's Scrolls)

"I now had the means whereby I might purchase yet two more ships for my fleet. They would be deep-keeled round ships, with mighty holds, and high, broad sails. I had alread, to a great extent, selected crews. I had projected voyages for them to Ianda and to Torvaldsland. Each would be escorted by a medium galley. They would bring me, I conjecture, much riches." ~Raiders of Gor~

. The ship on which I was carried was the round ship, or cargo ship, Clouds of Telnus, registered in Cos, but with shipping papers clearing it for the waters of Schendi. It was some twenty feet wide at its broadest point and some one hundred and twenty feet in length. It had two masts, with permanent rigging. It was also equipped with oars, but these were primarily used in entering and leaving a harbor. The round ship, as opposed to the long ship, or war ship, relies predominantly upon its sails. The Clouds of Telnus was said to be a medium-class ship. Its deep hold, I gather, would carry several tons of cargo. I found it a lovely ship, discounting the miseries of its hold, and it was particularly beautiful under sail. The sails, like those of most Gorean ships, were triangular.

...

The deck was white and smooth to my knees. It had been rubbed with deck stones, and washed down and scrubbed. The deck-cage girls, on their hands and knees, ankles shackled, attended to this work.
I looked out, across the water. The sky was very bright. It was precious being above deck.
"How ugly you are, Below-Deck Girl," said one of the girls in a small deck cage.
I looked at her. She was auburn-haired, and, like all the slave girls on the Clouds of Telnus, whether cage girls or below-deck girls, stripped; girls are not permitted clothing on a slave ship. She was sitting with her knees drawn up in the tiny cage. She could not completely stretch her body.
I did not bother to respond to her. If her hair had been shaven away, she, too, would not be too beautiful. I would have liked to have stood over her, her control slave, whip in hand, when she had scrubbed on the deck. She would not then, I think, have spoken so insolently.
I heard the lookout cry out, from high above on the highest, the second, of the two masts. He spoke of a sail and its location. It could not be seen from the deck. Men ran to the left side of the ship, some climbed one of the two masts. The captain spoke swiftly to his crew.
The two men at the steering oars, one on each side of the ship, at its back, turned the vessel away from the left.
Men rushed to the benches and slid oars through the oar openings in the side of the ship.
Another man began to call to them and their oars, in unison, began to dip and pull.
Men ran here and there about the deck. Some attended to ropes. Some lashed down loose objects on the deck. Weapons were fetched, and sand and water. Hatches were closed, and secured.
I was very excited, but helpless. I could not participate in the least in what might ensue. ~Slave Girl of Gor~
 

CAPACITY

"Admittance to the council is based on being master of at least five ships. Surbus had not been a particularly important captain, but he had been the master of a fleet of seven, now mine. These five ships, pertinent to council membership, may be either the round ships, with deep holds of rmerchandise, or the long ships, ram-ships, ships of war. Both are predominantly oared vessels, but the round ship carries a heavier, permanent rigging, and supports more sail, being generally two-masted. The round ship, of course, is not round, but it does have a much wider beam to its length of keel, say, about one to six, whereas the ratios of the war galleys are about one to eight.

The five ships, it might be added, must be of at least medium class. In a round ship this means she would be able, in Earth figures, to freight between approximately one hundred and one hundred and fifty tons below decks. I have calculated this figure from the Weight, a Gorean unit of measurement based on the Stone, which is about four earth pounds. A Weight in ten Stone. A medium-class round ship should be able to carry from 5,000 to 7,500 Gorean Weight. The Weight and the Stone, incidentally, are standardized throughout the Gorean cities by Merchant Law, the only common body of law existing among the cities. The official �Stone,� actually a solid metal cylinder, is kept, by the way, near the Sardar. Four timea a year, on a given day in each of the four great fairs held annually near the Sadar, it is brought forth with sclaes, that merchants from whatever city my test their own standard �Stone� against it. The �Stone� of Port Kar, tested against the official �Stone� at the Sardar, reposed in a special fortified building in the great arsenal, which complex was admininstered by agents of the Council of Captains. ~Raiders of Gor~

"On the other hand, whereas the round ships do not carry rams and are much slower and less maneuverable than the long ships, they are not inconsequential in a naval battle, for their deck areas and deck castles can accommodate springals, small catapults, and chain-slings onagers, not to mention numerous bowmen, all of which can provide a most discouraging and vicious barrage, consisting normally of javelins, burning pitch, fiery rocks and crossbow quarrels. A war ship going into battle, incidentally, always takes its mast down and stores its sail below decks. The bulwarks and deck of the ship are often covered with wet hides." ~Raiders of Gor~

I anticipated, and received, little resistance from the round ships. There were various reasons for this. They had been herded together and could not maneuver. They were slower than the ram-ships and, under any conditions, little match for them. And their rowing slaves, by this time, were fully aware that the fleet encircling them was that of Bosk, from the marshes. ~Raiders of Gor~

CREW

Excerpt of The Goren Library of Knowledge

Captain of the ship

"Helmsmen," said I, "take your course now for the treasure fleet of Cos and Tyros."
"Yes, Captain," said they.
"Half-beat," said I to the oar-master.
"Yes, Captain," said he. ~Raiders of Gor~

Oar-master

"Maximum beat," said the oar-master to his keleustes, and then came to stand beside me on the stern castle.
~Raiders of Gor~

As soon as the Rena had swung to her original course, the oar-master cried "Stroke!" and the mallets of the keleustes began to strike, in great beats, the copper-covered drum.  ~Raiders of Gor~

Keleustes

Before him, since this was a large ship, there sat a keleustes, a strong man, a time-beater, with leather-wrapped wrists. He would mark the rowing stroke with blows of wooden, leather-cushioned mallets on the head of a huge copper-covered drum. ~Raiders of Gor~

Helmsmen

The two helmsmen strained with their side rudders, bringing the ship about. ~Raiders of Gor~

The oar-master cried out angrily and turned to the helmsman, he who held the tiller beam.
The helmsman stood at the tiller, not moving. ~Raiders of Gor~

Bowmen

Oarsmen

Spearmen

Lookout

Trumpeters

Flutists and drummers

EYES ON SHIPS

"The eyes of the ship, painted on either side of the bow, would now have turned toward the opening of the harbor of Telnus. Ships of Gor, of whatever class or type, always have eyes painted on them, either in a head surmounting the prow, as in tarn ships, or, as in the Rena, as in round ships, on either side of the bow. It is the last thing that is done for the ship before it is first launched. The painting of the eyes reflects the Gorean seaman�s belief that the ship is a living thing. She is accordingly given eyes, that she may see her way". ~Raiders of Gor~

FREE MEN ROWING

"I had made one innovation in practices common to Port Kar. I used free men on the rowing benches on my round ships, of which I had four, not slaves, as is traditional. The fighting ship, incidentall, the long ship, the ram-ship, has never been, to my knowledge, in Port Kar, or Cos, or Tyros, or elsewhere on Gor, rowed by slaves; the Gorean fighting ship always has free men at the oars. The galley slaves I thought worth freeing, I freed, and found that many would stay with me, taking me for their captain. Those I did no wish, for one reason or another, to free, I sold to other captains, or exchanged them for slaves whom I might free, several of whom, when freed, also agreed to serve with me. Gaps on my benches were easily filled. I would purchase a strong man from the market chain on the slave wharf, and then, saying nothing, set him free. I think not once did such a man not follow me to my holding, asking to be my man. Not only did fre men render more efficient service at the oars, but, when they were given the opportunity, I found them eager to train with arms, and so hired masters to teach them weapons. It was thus that the round ships of Bosk, the captain from the marshes, with their free crews, became in their own right dangerous, formidable ships. Merchants of Port Kar began to apply to me that they might transport their goods in my ships. I preferred, however, to buy and sell my own cargos. Certain other captain, I noted, were now also experimenting, on certain of their shiips, with free crews". ~Raiders of Gor~

LOWER HOLD

Beneath the first hold of a ship is the lower hold. This is a tiny crawl space, about eighteen inches, between the deck of the first hold and the curved hull of the ship. It is divided by its keel. It is unlit, cold and damp. It commonly contains sand for ballast and the sump, or bilge. The foul and briny water accumulates there and the bilge is pumped once a day in calm weather, more often in bad weather. It may be used for the storage of perishables or to keep items cool. It may also be used to punish slaves. A slave, placed into the lower hold with its darkness and the urts that live there, will quickly learn to be obedient. (From Luther's Scrolls)

MASTS

"The Rena of Temos, like most round ships, had two permanent masts, unlike the removable mast of the war galleys. The main mast was a bit forward of amidships, and foremast was some four or five yards abaft of the ship�s yoke. Both were lateen rigged, the yard of the foresail being about half the length of the yard of the mailsail. We had made good time for a heavy ship, but then the wind had slacked." ~Raiders of Gor~

"Round ships, like ram-ships, differ among themselves considerably. But most are, as I may have mentioned, two masted, have permanent masts and, like the ram-ships, are lateen rigged. They, though they carry oarsmen, generally slaves, are more of a sailing ship than the ram-ship. They can, generally, sail satisfactorily to windward, taking full advantage of their lateen rigging, which is particularly suited to windward work. The ram-ship, on the other hand, is difficult to sail to windward, even with lateen rigging, because of its length, its narrowness and its shallow draft. In tacking to windward her leeward oars and rowing frame are likely to drag in the water, cutting down speed considerably and not infrequently breaking oars. Accordingly the ram-ship most commonly sails only with a fair wind. Further, she is less seaworthy than the round ship, having a lower freeboard area, being more easily washed with waves, and having a higher keel-to-beam ratio, making the danger of breaking apart in a high sea greater than it would be with a round ship. There are in the building of ships, as in other things, values to be weighed."  ~Raiders of Gor~

SAILS

Ships carry different sails for different conditions. The yard itself, from the mast, must be lowered and hoisted so the sails can be removed or attached. There is no practical way to take in, or shorten, a sail as in square rigged craft. But, lateen sails permit sailing closer to the wind, great maneuverability and great efficiency in tacking. The triangular lateen sail, on its single sloping yard, is also beautiful and that means a lot to Goreans. There are three main types of sails and all lateen. They differ mainly by their size. The largest is the "fair weather" sail which is used with light winds. A smaller sail is the "tarn" sail used with strong winds astern. It takes its name from the tarn ships where they are commonly found. It is also called a "storm" sail as it is an escape sail to flee heavy storms. There is also a "tharlarion" sail, a smaller version of the tarn sail. It is more manageable and used most often in swift, brutal, shifting winds.  (From Luther's Scrolls)

SLAVES ROWING

"That boy, I thought, may well prove useful to me If he fell into the hands of the council he would doubtless be tortured and impaled, or, perhaps, condemned to a seat on the rowing benches of the arsenal round ships. In my holding, his identity could be kept secret. In time, I might find a use for him. There was surely little to be gained in turning him over to the council.". ~Raiders of Gor~

I heard the laughter of the girl, Vivina, who seemed amused. Several of the others in the court laughed as well.
Lurius settled himself, breathing heavily, again in his throne.
�Put him in a market chain,� said Lurius, �and sell him at the slaves� wharf.�
The girl laughed.
�When,� snarled Lurius, �you find yourself chained in the rowing hold of a round ship, you may, my fine captain of Port Kar, bethink yourself less brave and clever than now you do.� ~Raiders of Gor~

By the eighth hour various captains of round ships had arrived and begun to haggle with the slave master over the prices of the oarsmen. The slave master, in my opinion, wanted far too much for his merchandise, considering we were merely fodder for the benches of the round ships. ~Raiders of Gor~

I was not displeased when I was conducted to the Rena of Temos. She was indeed a round ship. I noted with satisfaction the width of her beam and the depth of her keel. Such a ship would be slow.
I did not much care for the crusts, and the onions and peas, on which we fed, but I did not expect to be eating them long.
�You will not find this an easy ship to row,� said the oar-master, chaining my ankles to the heavy footbrace.
�The lot of a slave is miserable,� I told him.
�Further,� he laughed, �you will not find me an easy master.�
�The lot of a slave is indeed miserable,� I lamented.
He turned the key in the locks and, laughing, turned about and went to his seat, facing us, in the stern of the rowing hold.
Before him, since this was a large ship, there sat a keleustes, a strong man, a time-beater, with leather-wrapped wrists. He would mark the rowing stroke with blows of wooden, leather-cushioned mallets on the head of a huge copper-covered drum.
�Out oars!� called the oar-master.
I, with the others, slid my oar outboard.
Above us, on the upper deck, I could hear the crieds of the seamen, casting off mooring lines, shoving away from the dock with the traditional three long poles. The sails would not be dropped from the yards until the ship was clear of the harbor.
I heard the creak of the great side-rudders and felt the heavy, sweet, living movement of the caulked timbers of the ship.
We were now free of land.  ~Raiders of Gor~

�Our round ships,� said Samos, �require oarsmen.�
I nodded.
So they would be slaves. ~Raiders of Gor~
 

ULAFI

He is a Merchant and the captain of the Palms of Schendi. This ship is a medium-class round ship with a keel-to-beam ratio of about six to one. It also has ten oars on each side, two rudders, and two permanent, lateen-rigged masts. His warehouse is located near wharf eight. He will do anything for gold except betray the code of the Merchants. Tarl Cabot traveled on his ship from Port Kar to Schendi.  (From Luther's Scrolls)

WOMEN ON SHIPS

The presence of free women on a ship makes some sailors uneasy and they are usually regarded as bad luck. Free women though do travel on merchant ships. Female sailors do not exist on Gor. Slave girls on a ship though are welcomed. Many ships even have a Luck Girl, a special slave who acts as mascot and is regarded as good luck. Most slaves on a ship available to the crew for their pleasure. This helpos make a long journey pass much more pleasant.
Slaves may be kept above or below the decks. On the deck, girls are kept in small deck cages that are fastened on the deck. At night and in rough weather, they may be covered with a tarpaulin. The girls kept below the decks are in slave platforms that essentially have a wooden top and bottom and all four sides covered by mesh. Each space is about twenty-five inches wide, eighteen inches high, and six feet inches long. Urts are a problem below decks so the mesh is meant to keep them away from the girls. Being kept above decks is the preferred place for slaves.  (From Luther's Scrolls)

�Have you ever been in the hold of a round ship?� I asked.
�Of course not,� she said.
High born ladies commonly sailed in cabins, located in the stern castle of the galleys. ~Raiders of Gor~

I could not free my ankles, wrists and belly of their chains, which kept me, by their arrangement, on my knees. I was frightened. If the ship fell to pirates I, and the other girls, I knew, would fall helplessly to them too, lovely spoils, naked slave booty, to the victors. I hoped that they would want us. If they did not, we would be thrown overboard. In such circumstances, girls try to be wanted.

"Get those slaves below deck," called an officer.

I and the other four girls, who had been on deck at the same time, were seized by the arms and dragged along the deck. The hatch to the slave hold was opened. To my horror I saw my sisters in bondage tumbled down the ladder. "No!" I cried. Then I, too, was thrown through the hatch, striking the stairs, rolling, chained, tumbling, to the flooring of the hold. I was much bruised. "No!" I heard cry. Then the girls from the deck cages, too, were taken to the hatch and rudely ordered to descend into the hold. "The smell!" screamed one of them, and then she was thrust flying through the opening. Twenty girls from the deck were then with us. Looking up, we saw the heavy hatch close. The new girls screamed at the darkness. We heard the hatch bolts flung into place, and the two heavy locks snapped shut. ~Slave Girl of Gor~