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 possessed special qualities distinguishing it from some pre-existent small craft. As for the "skiff," it may have been a fresh type, but small, light, swift vessels were used by English seamen in all ages. Carrocks and dromons figure as before in the chronicles of maritime occurrences; but these vessels were never characteristic English



types, and though they occasionally fought for England, they generally appeared either as mercenaries, or as prizes which had been won from a continental enemy. Some of the carracks of the time were large. In the reign of Henry V. one, building at Barcelona, was of 1300 "botts" or tons, and another of 1000.