Gondola

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

gon'do-la, a long, narrow boat with slender pointed ends upturned to the height of one's head. The ordinary gondola is scarce wider than a four-oared skiff, but is three times as long. A well appointed cabin is provided in the middle for passengers. The gondolier stands in the stern, facing forward, with sometimes a second in the prow, and propels his craft with skillful strokes of a single oar. The silent gondola and the picturesque gondolier have been long a characteristic feature of the waterways of Venice; but of late, the steam launch has made its noisy advent. In the early days of the so-called Venetian Republic, there was complaint that wealthy citizens adorned their gondolas gorgeously. To prevent wasteful extravagance and competition in ornamentation by way of gilt and lace, as well as to allay strife, a law was passed requiring all gondolas to be painted a plain black. Law became custom. The gondolas of Venice still look like a fleet of black swans. Having reference, no doubt, to the Venetian gondola, a lighter or large flat-bottomed boat used on the rivers of New England is called locally a gondola. The term is also applied to a car used on railroads for carrying coal and similar freight. This car has low sides secured by stanchions to a platform body, or the sides may be hinged to the body. See Venice Didst ever see a Gondola? For fear You should not, I'll describe it you exactly: 'Tis a long cover'd boat that's common here, Carved at the prow, built lightly, but compactly ; Row'd by two rowers, each call'd "Gondolier," It glides along the water looking blackly, Just like a coffin clapt in a canoe, Where none can make out what you say or do. And up and down the long canals they go, And under the Rialto shoot along, By night and day, all paces, swift or slow; And round the theatres, a sable throng, They wait in their dusk livery of woe. -Byron, Beppo.