10 JUNE 1995, Page 34

All at sea

Sir: In the interests of historical accuracy, the front-cover illustration (20 May) of MPs rowing a four-level galley simply won't work — with or without the aid of Whips.

It has been proved conclusively that the maximum level of oars ever used during the Golden Age of the oared galley (5th-lst century BC) was three — the three levels of oarsmen being positioned one above the other as with the trireme. More than three would result in the vessel becoming unwieldy and almost impossible to manoeu- vre — which brings us back to the MPs and the need for the Whips.

Clive Thomas

Hillside House, Wrotham, Kent