William Brand

Organize a Pub photo opportunity and get some pictures!

Starting August 1st, I should like to see confirmations for the Roll Call. Start buying tickets and sounding off.

I am very glad to see this addition. I have been anxiously awaiting printed materials from your fine website. Now...where to start?

July 31, 1704 - Aboard the Heron William just continued smiling, more glad of their good fortune now that he could watch it dawn on another face. It revived his tired spirits and made his passing worries seem trivial. Dorian made to fill William's glass a second time, but William waved it off with a shake of his head. William had imbibed several times already with the money counters, the sugar baron and his Steward and his head was swimming from too little food and water. Dorian helped himself to a second glass by way of congratulations. The sale of the Dutch built fluyt represented a shift of weight both metaphorical and in a very real sense, substantial. The responsibility of maintaining the extra deck would soon pass to some other and his fellows and they would be free to chart new courses. New ambitions. "The Heron has an admirable gun deck. You shou..." William began, and Dorian stirred him back to the subject at hand with force. "The Maastricht, man! Sixty-seven thousand..." "Sixty-six thousand, seven hundred and nineteen." William said, his tone falsely understated, almost apologetic. "I regret that it isn't mo..." "Ya regret nothing." Dorian corrected, and he shook his head as if hearing the sum for the first time. "Sixty-six thousand." "Don't lay to much credit at my door, Captain. The greater part of the bargain had its birth ashore. Monsieur Goddu is as shrewd as he is...voluble. The man speaks his mind as openly as a town crier all a fuddle." William rubbed the heel of his hand into one tired eye and shook his head. "He laid out a course for me as plain as favorable wind...long winded as he was. Charpentier was his absolute obverse in conversation, though he nodded when appropriate. I pity Monsieur Dawnay or Bellemare when they come proposing." Dorian made a dismissive sound. "Modest to a fault. You forget what I've seen ya do with the French, ya dockside haggler." "I may have exaggerated some of the fluyt's finer qualities." William conceded. "Made her keel a spars length longer in th' telling." Dorian agreed. "And..." William continued, ignoring this exaggeration on his explainations. "...Rummy is due her part. Let us not forget her and Hawks." "I'll remember due gratitude all th' way down to th' ship's cat for sixty-six thousand livres." Dorian said enthusiastically, raising his half drained glass a little. William nodded. "Sixty-six thousand, seven hundred and nineteen livres freshly minted from France...and unclipped, I'll wager." "Here, here." Dorain toasted, and he drank down the rest of the glass with a grin as wide and open as their prospects.

July 31, 1704 - On the Cul du Sac Royal First Dog Watch Begins The crossing from the Watch Dog to the Heron was a short one, but in that small amount of time William took in the Cul du Sac Royal and its many occupants. The Navarra lay quite near, quiet but for the business of the day. Her companion ship lay just beyond, and in contrast to the relative ease of the larger vessel, the smaller one was alive with activity, repairs and salvage. Even further beyond this lay the familiar line of Fournier's proud vessel, but William could not help thinking that it looked diminished somehow, and he was at a loss to explain this feeling even to himself. 'Why have they not sent word of any kind?' he wondered, and not for the first time since arriving at Martinique. "Captain Brand on approach!" Maurice Roche called from aloft. This was acknowledged and echoed from the weatherdecks and Captain Lasseter appeared at the rails in short order. "What news, Cap'n?" he called from amidships. "I've hawked the Elephant, Captain Lasseter." "Good riddance ta her for coin." "Aye." William agreed, and then he made a reference to Egyptian leprosy that Dorian did not understand at all. "Nevermind." William said, waving the comment away as he came alongside the Heron and hurried up the side. "Did she pay fer her troubles?" Dorian asked as he offered his hand. William took it as he stepped over the rail and down. "Aye" William he said finally, after looking about at the new guns of the cutter. Then he leaned towards Dorian and spoke low in confidence. "Almost, but not entirely some sixty-seven thousand small and unremarkable French livres." ~Starboard Watches on Duty~

Can I officially add her under the hotel list?

I look forward to your thesis. Welcome aboard.

I found this one this morning. I know it's the Dutchman, but come on...

And knowing it makes me an evil man.

Let us focus on what we do know. Let us take an examination of records from those countries outside of Europe which had tattooing on a wide scale during the Golden Age of Piracy. Example: Japan The Japanese have been tattoing for purposes of decoration, religion, social postition and even fad for the better part of their history. Edo period (1603-1867) literature is filled with references to pledge tattoos, or irebokuro as they were known. These are love or religious tattoos symbolizing pledges of eternal love. They were wide spread among the working class or middle class. If we can focus on countries outside of Europe, we may eventually find a tying record that will have a name or reference to tattooed Englishmen. Personal journals of colonists would certainly help. What we have here is a desire to know more on both sides of the debate. We should use our combined energy to dig and bring records to light.

You say 'evil man' but you mean 'gracious host'.

July 31, 1704 - Aboard the Watch Dog William returned to the Ward Room between seven and eight bells to scratch a letter. He also took the time to fetch coin from the ship's lock box that he might send men ashore armed with letters and money sufficient to seek out their Doctor in whatever corner of Martinique she might be contained. The previous subtleties of her bearing, education and self guarded secrets suggested that she might be found in high places, but it was just as likely that she was secretly keeping low, suggesting very ugly places as well. He read the letters explaining the men and their purpose several times, careful to be certain that it was sufficient to find the Doctor without causing her or them unnecessary troubles. When he was sure of the composition, he made a second copy and went out to the weatherdecks. Ajayi approached him, even as he was ordering out the longboat, and they conversed in a mixture of gestures, limited English, Yoruban and a few sparse Arabic words. William made inquires about his health, pointing at the bandages. Ajayi was able to demonstrate that he could walk with ease and stand up straight without pain, as much a testament to his self control as to his recovery. Then Ajayi questioned the Captain with a mixture of his own Yoruban and limited Arabic about going to shore. William had difficulty following anything but the tone and gestures, but understood the name Pew more than once. William was sympathetic about Ajayi's friendship to the Master-at-Arms, but in the absence of the Doctor, he refused to let Ajayi depart the ship for the present. Ajayi did not show emotion when refused, but nodded and remained content to stand upright in sunlight. William went over the side of the Watch Dog into the waiting longboat and crossed over to the Heron with many purposes. Eight bells of the Afternoon Watch First Dog Watch Begins

We need to start a company called Ploan. Every time a fellow pirate needs a loan we rob somebody and send it to them.

I finished the final Harry Potter last night and I am in the midst of reading Captain Bligh's Portable Nightmare. I'm a strong William Bligh advocate and it is a good read..

Today's special is Grilled Chicken in Dark Sauce with Coconut and Corriander Fragrant Rice...

Well, she has a good basis of comparrison now. Most of us set our watch by your kit.

I'll take three days worth, please.

I've seen your work. It is exquisite. Welcome aboard.

Welcome aboard.

Warm. We could use some rain.

Their are some very nice recent postings...including the spoon.

Maeve wants some of these...

To the whole tottering, villainous, weedy, froward, droning, pribbling, wayward, craven, beef-witted, milk-livered, paunchy lot of skainsmates! May they live long and die rich! How I love the louts.

HERE, HERE! Here's to all the dogs past, present and future!

Six thousand posts! Whew. Man I need a drink.