Page:The history of yachting.djvu/53

Rh of the world, and as Spain and Portugal in the fifteenth century had been influenced by Venice and Genoa in the architecture and equipment of their ships, so Holland felt the influence of Spain later.

It was quite natural, therefore, that a refined and wealthy people as the Hollanders were, living in a country situated upon an inland sea and intersected by waterways and canals,—the highways of commerce and travel,—should have had both their private and public conveyance by water. This was what the people did have; and this conveyance was called Jaght, from Jagen, meaning, originality, a boat drawn by horses (to-day Jaghers Garen means a towrope), and later a swift, light-built, handsomely furnished, and beautifully decorated vessel used either as a private pleasure-vessel or as a vessel of State, or of the Admiralty, or attached to an expedition or squadron. The English word yacht is derived from the Dutch Jaght, and, until late into the eighteenth century, was frequently written Yatch, Yatcht.

When the yacht came into existence in Holland the term applied to the vessel Jaght Schip. It denoted swiftness and probably, chasing or hunting; for the ancient yacht of Holland was put to a variety of uses. After a time, however, Schip was abandoned, Jaght only being used. From a Dutch-Latin dictionary, published at Antwerp in 1599, we trace the etymology of the word Jaght, which takes its root in Jaghen, meaning to hunt, to chase, to pursue, to strive after; rapid motion, haste, or hurry; also meaning to tow with horses. From