The Sailor’s Magazine of April 1835, p. 243 published the following news item dealing with the Turkish ship of the line Mahmoud. A month later followed in the same magazine a news item dealing with the anchor of the American ship of the line Pennsylvania, while comparing both ships. The Mahmoud was larger!
“Largest Ship in the World. It is called the Mahmoud - is owned by the Turkish government, and floats before Constantinople. The extreme length of the lower gun deck is 233 feet; extreme breadth 64 feet 8 inches; depth of the base line, 30 feet; height of the berth deck, 7 feet 9 inches; lower deck, 8 feet; second deck, 7 feet 6 inches; upper deck, 7 feet; length of the mainmast, 139 feet, and its diameter 4 feet; draft forward, 26 feet 11 inches; aft, 27 7 inches. Her burden is 3334 tons, and she is pierced for one hundred and forty guns. She is planked inside and out, with soft pine, the workmanship being rough, although the model is good. The berth and spar deck have no knees, and the beams are six feet apart, without carlines between them. Instead of hammocks, there are little raised platforms in the berth deck, for the men to lie down upon, and between these and the side of the vessel are small lockers, to contain the clothes of the seamen. Rations of an excellent quality, and amply sufficient, are allowed the Turkish sailors. Their regular pay is three dollars sixty two and a half cents per month, besides clothing. The salary of a nautical commander is five hundred dollars per annum, and forty cents a day when not in actual service. The various ranks in the navy are solely dependent upon the will of the Sultan.”
Source
The Sailor’s Magazine and Naval Journal, published by the American Seamen’s friend society. New York, 1835. Digitized by Google.
Note
1. See the note “A large anchor for the American ship of the line USS Pennsylvania in 1835”. See also earlier notes dealing with the Turkish navy and the Mahmoud.
