by Captain Arie L. Bleicher mil very recently on the hi srorical rime scale, the oceans beyond the beach were also beyond m an's grasp. They were alien a nd unexplored-rhoughr ro be the realm of dreadful creatures. M aps drawn by ancient-and even medievalcartographers show the world beyond the "Known" ro be inhabited by sea serpents, dragons, fa nciful monsters and such, all ro convey ro the beholder the dread ful perils of the "Unknown ." Somewhere, sometime, man and a floating rree trunk must have come rogether. Let us assume char from then on m an's curiosity, inventive disposition, and greed led ro experimentation, progress, and ultimately ro rrade. Th is led ro the need for rules ro ensure the o rderly conduct of m aritime affairs and, of late, ro ensure an equitable disposition of the spoils. The earlies t use of
the oceans' resources was likely limited ro coas tal fishing, with the use of the ocean as a h ighway coming later. Until the adve nt of paved roads, travel by wa ter was preferable over the rigors of travel on la nd. But the question of who owned the ocean highway was harder ro answer because of the inability ro measure and control it in the same way that land has been measured , apportioned , and cont rolled . Control, m eaning the power ro deny access ro the unwa nted and uninvited, is essential ro supporting a claim of ow nership. There is a basic difference between ocean transportation and transportation by any other means . O cean transportation is usually a joint venture between the owner of the goods and the owner of the ship. As joint venturers, they share risks and have no clai m against each other fo r losses caused by the perils of the sea, acts of God, pirates,
res traint of princes and rulers-in short, all events that could not be anticipated at the o utset of the adventure. This may seem archaic in the days of aro mic power and manned flights ro rhe international space srarion, bur ir should be rem embered chat ocean transportation has a long traditio n, which reaches back in ro times before recorded hisrory. Scholars believe char the joint venture concept was originated by m erchants of rhe Minoan kingdom of C rete, passed from them ro the Phoenicians, was refin ed by rhe Dutch , and was carried on ro the present day. The m erchants of a city entrusted a ship's captain ro carry their goods ro a foreign port and, once rhere, barter for ocher goods at his discretion . Fo r this service, the cap rain charged the m erchants a commission. The ships of the time were relatively small , and by roday's standards no r terribly seaworthy.
Canta Marina, 1539, map of Scandinavia by Glaus Magnus (1490-1557). Ancient and medieval world maps often included depictions of monsters and mythical creatures out to sea.
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SEA HISTORY 128, AUTUMN 2009