Publisher's blurb: A snow, snaw or snauw is a square-rigged vessel with two masts, complemented by a snow- or trysail-mast stepped immediately abaft (behind) the main mast. A snow had been the largest two-masted ship for many centuries. His weight was around 1000 tons. As almost an identical ship to a brig, snow carried the square sails on both fore-mast and main-mast. A snow was also equipped with an additional trysail mast (used during storm to keep a ship from the wind) which was behind the main-mast. These ships were used for both, battle and merchant purposes. Usually around 80 seamen were boarded. A battle version (Naval Snow) was larger and better armed for the military purposes. Up to 10 cannons were mounted on only one gun deck.