| Name of gun. | Number. | Weight of shot. |
| lbs. | ||
| Cannon | 4 | 60 |
| Demi-cannon | 3 | 32 |
| Culverin | 4 | 18 |
| Demi-culverin | 2 | 8 |
| Saker | 4 | 6 |
| Cannon Perer | 2 | 26 |
| Falcon | 2 | 2 |
The sizes of the guns of this time are pretty accurately known, because one of the ships of Henry VIII., called the Mary Rose, built in 1509, went down off Portsmouth in 1545, and several of her guns have been recovered, and are still in existence.
The por-holes were circular, and so small in diameter that no traverse could have been given to the guns. This practice continued to prevail till the time of the Commonwealth. There were five masts in this, as in all other first-rates henceforth down to the time of Charles I. One of the masts was inclined forward, like a modern bowsprit. Each mast was made in one piece, the introduction of separate topmasts having been a more modern improvement.
Fig. 43—Genoese carrack. 1542.
The highest development in the art of shipbuilding at this period was reached in the large merchant-ships called Carracks. The competition between the great trading republics of Italy, viz. Venice and Genoa, and the rivalry of Portugal probably accounted for the marked improvement in the character of merchant-ships in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Fig. [43] gives a representation of a large Genoese carrack of the sixteenth century. It will be noticed that this vessel had four masts, and was square-rigged, the foremost mast having been inclined forward somewhat after the fashion of the modern bowsprit. In the sixteenth century the carrack often attained the size of 1,600 tons. Towards the latter half of this century a Portuguese carrack captured by the English was, in length, from the beakhead to the stern, 165 ft.; beam, 47 ft.; length of keel, 100 ft.; height of mainmast, 121 ft.; circumference at partners, 11 ft.; length of mainyard, 106 ft.; burthen, 1,600 tons. This vessel carried 32 pieces of brass ordnance—a very necessary addition to the merchant-ship of the period—and accommodated between 600 and 700 passengers.
The most important maritime event in the sixteenth century was, undoubtedly, the fitting out by Spain, in 1588, of the gigantic expedition intended to invade this country in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. An account of the fleets on either side may therefore be interesting.
