Badger

Hurrhurrhurr ye cant have THAT one....it be mine, bought an' paid fer! hehehehheh

Yuuurrhh, serious props t' ye both fer standin' th' test o' time !

Findin' yer soul-mate an' best friend-fer-life be sweeter nor any plunder, no?

(Me love, Beth, an' I be about tae celebrate our 10th...but our 15th as lovers! ).

May ye have many, many, MANY more!

Aye, I salutes ye fellow Decemberrr-babies as well. Good fortune, fair winds, and profitable ventures to ye all!

Here be some encouragement-like. I gots heavy, freakishly massive bones (an' a navy waiver certificate on file ta prove it! ) , an' a squat, muscular sort o' build ta go wit' it, so when I first jumped in, I had yer pro'lem. I waz heavier nor water, an' I SINKED! Here's wot I did ta become th' "otter" they called me later....I swam UNNERWATER! Jus' hold yer breath, an do th' breaststroke, an' kick like th' dickens, an' pop up only fer a breath when ye needs it. kickin' off th' side or bottom can get ye t' th' surface or th' other side right quick, too.

Ummm....I guess ye do need lessons in th' breast stroke, though.

Ye can do it...I got me lifeguard certificate, an' won swim competitions, an' those what saw me struggle an' gasp like a drownin' weasel th' first few times would ne'er hae credited anysuch thing . Go git 'em, lad!

Me Mother taught me this, an' it be true;

Sorrow shared is sorrow halved,

but

Joy shared is joy doubled.

Share yer Joys an' Sorrows wi' those who care fer ye, an fer who ye care.

Ey! Th' only thing on that "dancing girl' what is dancing is 'er.....uh...'Er FINGERS-like! Yeah, yeah, that be th' ticket......WHOT!? I wos'nt gonna say 'Er Boo$-ies, or nothin'! Really I wos'nt!

Oh, yeah, an have a 'Appy birfday, Stynky, ye lucky ol' PiP-going sea-lizard!

Hae a Diggity-good 'day! Hope ye gets truffles!

Yearh, happy Birfday, a' eat some o' that cake fer me too.....wait, thats gonna make ye fat, if'n ye eats some fer allo' us... heheheheh then we can gets yer swag! Ne'er mind. Just eats all ye can fer yerself, an' Give nothin' Back!

Me list is short, but I gots a rare one!

Rumba Rue

We spoke o' mutual friends (O' Captain my Captain), Christmas parties, Secret Santa, an' food. She sounds like a person who can do five things at once....an' all o' them well!

If'n anyone wants tae call me, th' early afternoon ta evening is good. We dont answer th' phone, but if ye say yer pirate name, an' wait a few seconds, we will answer if we arrh there!

Yurrhhh, Some o' me many favorites....

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Black Spot hurrhurrhurr

Russian (Soviet) Anthem as played in th' beginning o' Hunt for Red October.

Happy birthday indeed, Kenneth. Sounds like a rippin' good time. Too bad th' Mouse wont let ye (us'Ns) in th' gate in costume. Me wife wants tae go as "Elizabeth Two-Minks"!

Holy *&%!#$!* iPirate! (Hey, can I say "*&%!#$!*" on here?) Now THAT is taking things just a bit too far! Kinda sounds like th' other vendor was a....was a...a..a PIRATE! I hope th' rascal is locked up....

Blackbead, 'tis good t' have vendors on our side. Need more like ye, man.

Sadly, immoderate greed drives many things in Modern society. Fools.

Yurrrhh, now I knows me victim..... This is gonna be a challenge! Heheheheh funfunfun!

Yurrhhh.....PIRATE!

(Someone had tae say it.....)

Yurrhh, as on o' th' aforementioned 'greenys', welcome back indeed. Ne'er can have enow crew, (except when plunder be divided )! Any one who's "Emerald' be right welcome...I loves sparklies, an' I loves green!

Unfortunately, Southern Faire here in L.A. has a similar (Though as of yet, less grim) problem. I am pretty sure that they do pay the entertainers, as there are still some good ones who have been coming for many years, but every year it seems there be less and less in the way of buskers and 'incidental' entertainers.Read that almost none left..... The vendors rule, and only the same old stage shows (we do love y'all though ) play on the few stages. Not the 'Faire I first met and loved so many years ago. Stll "OUR" 'Faire....holding on. I miss th' Wild People...Sigh.

(Purrs and does head-dives on Silkie)

(Wot!? Badgers can purr, too! (I learned fom me other love o' me life, Dakota, alias Such-a-Kitty, alias Kitty-K'tang, alias th' lil' black cat wi' th' big green eyes....also gots 5 snakes!).

Yuurrhh, its time ta stick me neck out. (ulp! ) I been readin' all o' the forums an' old stuff I can find here on th' flintlock vs. doglock vs. matchlock, etc. in the time o' Morgan (1660-70's). I know its probably in there somewhere, but there be a couple o' points I havent been able ta' find, and I am gonna speak to 'em.

Many (I name no names, an' mean ta gore no oxen) seem ta think that the buccaneers were of a conservative mindset, and would have long retained their matchlocks by choice instead of eagerly taking new 'flinter' types. I submit that this is but speculation, and seems contradicted in the writings of the day. Exquemelin and Dampier both comment repeatedly on the "superior French fuzils" of the buccaneers, and the advantage this gave their firepower over the Spanish. It is clear that "fuzil" (fusil) refers in the French to a flintlock exclusively, while "mousquet" refers to a matchlock. I do not think this is a mistake in terms these authors would have made, given the heavy French cotribution to the efforts of the buccaneers.

Those of ye who hold out for doglocks, well, O.K., but all my research indicates that the doglock was nearly exclusively an English lock. (There were other flintlocks in use by the English too, as all o' ye know)! It doubtless was used by the buccaneers, probably extensively, and many were found in Port Royal, but I'll point out that Port Royal was destroyed after a decade of less and less French influence, and increasing hostility towards them. Thus it is no wonder more English designs would have been in use there by 1692. Exquemelin and Dampier say "French fuzils", not "English doglocks". Just saying.

Another point; The "buccaneer musket" of 1700-1730 (perhaps earlier) was a very long-barreled gun. I have seen a few references to them being used as 'sniper' guns by French naval sailors, and others, from the mast fighting-tops, to 'mark down' enemy officers etc. on the decks of the foe. What I have NOT seen, is many examples of period buccaneer art that show them leaning on a musket that goes above their heads....(maybe one?). On the contrary, many such show buccaneers leaning on or holding muskets which come to the shoulder area....about the length of a standard flintlock musket of the day. Say 4'-1/2' to 5'....if the men are normal height. They may well be shorter....men were, then! These pictures are easily available on Captain Twill.... check them out! The extremely long 'buccaneer gun' may have been a later (1680-90) invention, or it may have been rare.

Ye can argue 'availability" till we is all blue in th' face, an' I agree that a vast array o' cheap an' captured musket an' matchlock types would have been in use amongst th' buccaneers of all eras, BUT I are speakin' of the weapons used by th' more successful buccaneers, here.

Also, as a side note, 'Tulle' is only one of a NUMBER o' French 'fusil" manufacturers...an' not by far th' earliest one. It is only th' one best documented.

Given these hints, and based on observin' what little evidence there is, I think that the "Superior buccaneer fuzils" were 'standard' early-model french-lock 'fusil' muskets. I dare ye ta prove me wrong!

Now I is ducking an' covering.....got me fusil an' me pistols....will sell me measelly life dearly....

P.S., I totally agree wi' Hurricane about th' cutlass.

Just gots ta keep this thread on th' latest postings forum....not gonna let it slide... .

I wouldnt wear it meself....I'd be afeared it'd be wearin' ME!

That bein' said......NIIICCCEEEE!

Aha! Finally, a Twiillish thread I can add somethin' to, perhaps! I have no documentation, as in period pics other than th' aforementioned one o' Anne Bonney; however, I HAVE been a 'viking' re-enactor most o' me adult life, an' carried many axes. Several o' the axes I have wielded are right in th' size an' weight limits o' th' boarding axes ye speak of, an' not far off in shape. (I carries a light tomahawk in loops on me baldric, slantwise, as a Buccaneer now.....an it is edge-cased, I can tell ye! ). I never found a 20" +/- haft ta be a problem on me belt, PROVIDED I had it in a close-fitting loop, AND the blade was cased in leather. The backspike on many boarding axes would just make it more secure in th' loop, than a spikeless Norse type. Yer quite right that a sharp axe will HURT ya on yer belt (me arm an' gear gots nicked a time or two, early on) if not cased. This presents no difficulty in use; a 'sharp' axe will cleave right thru its own case if swung with any force, an' ye dont even need ta take th' time ta' uncase it! Th' weight is no more than a cutlass, sometimes less if ye counts th' sheath, an' if ye wants ta carry both, can counterbalance each other. As I say, I have no picture (will look), but as a person 30 years behind th' axe, I guarantee ye if they carried them onshore, they were over th' shoulder OR th' blades were cased!

Many artists would likely have left th' edge-case out; it is more ferocious-looking that way. Just a guess.

High-fives sutlerjon, slips Cross a pistol an' a sharp knife under th' table-like....treachery? PIRATE!

HeheheheHEHEHEHheheheh

Yeah, Mr. Cross. "Age an' treachery"....an' lots o' extra guns! I carries about 6....thats good fer about 4 or 5 "young agile pirates", right ther!

( As in; "got one wi' th' musket. drop th' musket. hehheh...Got two un'em wi th' blunderbuss, ones just winged, but ee'll ne'er fly agin', by gum! Drop th' blunderbuss. Drat, me lil' bussy misfired...good thing I got's th' queen Anne inna other hand...thats number 4...drop em' both. Heheheh...Yuurrhh! Missed wif th' dragoon, .....got im' wi th' other Queen. heheheheheh! drop 'm both, an out cutlasses! heheheheheheheheh!").

Why cant ye young'uns do th' same? Well, first ye cant afford it, 'cause ye aint had th' swag yet t' get all them guns, an' second, loadin' yerself wi' all that iron will LOSE ye all th' speed advantages o' yer agile youth, an' then we be back t' good aimin' an' good loadin', an' age'll win that'n nine times o' ten. Heheheheheh

Can I gets a big "ELL YES" from all th' treacherous ol' seadogs an' gundames out thar?

That all bein' said, ye comes along o' my crew, an' I'll gladly loan ye a piece er 2, Cross-me'lad! Ye'll have ta come out tae californy, though, but I hopes one day ta see ye all at PiP. (me folks lives on Merritt Island, Fl.).

Is green EVER out o' fashion?!?