William Brand

Easily my favorite review of UNDER THE BLACK FLAG. Currently I am reading texts available to men and women of the period. This list includes contemorary books of the Golden Age of Pyracy and anything before. I've been purchasing facsimiles and downloading period documents. My reading list for the Summer includes: DON QUIXOTE - I am part way through this one. Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur, which I am forced to read in English until I can master enough French to read it again in the original. A NEW VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD by William Dampier. THE GUNPODER PLOT SERMON (1606) by Lancelot Andrewes And varied Persian poets such as Farid od Din Attar, Omar Khayyam, Jelaluddin Rumi, Saadi, Sanai, and Baba Taher.

As the sailors hurried to Watson's aid, the shark repeatedly attacked the struggling boy. During the first assault, the shark stripped the flesh from Watson's right leg below the calf. In the second attack, the shark bit off Watson's foot at the ankle. Copley minimized the gore associated with such an attack, but traces of blood are visible in the water and on the shark's mouth. The composition is cropped to suggest the right foot is missing. In April 1778, while Copley's painting was on exhibit in London's Royal Academy, a detailed description of these horrific events was published in a London newspaper. The text, believed to have been penned by Brook Watson himself, describes the scene in excruciating detail, ultimately reassuring readers that thanks to the surgeon's skill, "after suffering an amputation of the limb, a little below the knee, the youth received a perfect cure in about three months." Watson eventually became a successful merchant in London. It is likely he commissioned the painting from Copley, whom he probably knew through members of the artist's family. Copley and Watson probably met in London during the summer of 1774, when the artist was passing through London on his way to Italy. On August 17, he wrote, "To Morrow I... Dine with a Mr. Watson." Watson later abandoned his mercantile ventures, turning to the political arena. He briefly served as Lord Mayor of London in 1796-97. Watson's political opponents made frequent, occasionally derisive, reference to his early ordeal. One suggested that had the shark bitten off Watson's other end, a wooden head would have served him as well as the wooden leg. Oh! Had the monster, who for breakfast eat That luckless limb, his noblest noddle met, The best of workmen, nor the best of wood, Had scarce supply'd him with a head so good. The shark attack made an indelible impression on the British statesman, who often recounted tales of his youthful adventure in the Caribbean. When he became a baronet in 1803, Watson specifically requested that his coat of arms include literal references to the terrifying ordeal. With the Latin motto Scuto Divino, meaning "under God's protection," the design places Neptune, god of the sea, at the apex, brandishing a trident to repel an attacking shark, and in the upper left corner of the shield, prominently displayed, is his missing right leg! Watson owned the painting until his death in 1807. In his will, he bequeathed it to Christ's Hospital, then a boy's school in London, expressing hope that his personal triumph over adversity would serve as a "most usefull Lesson to Youth."

^ You're asking a packrat, though I am enlightened enough to say yes. < I have some great stuff. V What little interesting things do you have about the place?

^ Keep up my yard. < Stupid yard. V Do you have a garage?

Seconded.

Nice...thank you for the link. "John Singleton Copley's Watson and the Shark was inspired by an event that took place in Havana, Cuba, in 1749. Fourteen-year-old Brook Watson, an orphan serving as a crew member on a trading ship, was attacked by a shark while swimming alone in the harbor. His shipmates, who had been waiting on board to escort their captain ashore, launched a valiant rescue effort. John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark, 1778. National Gallery of Art, Ferdinand Lammot Belin Fund 1963.6.1"

^ Doesn't everyone? Oh...they don't? (hangs head in shame) < I procrastinate everything. V Do you like brussel sprouts?

(William raises a glass of the Kate's finest) To our own Mister Pew. May he find solace in greener pastures...and here's to the backside of Dragon Boy! Hip-hip...!

^ My cutlass and Jambiya. < Soon I will be in the Middle East and I will by myself that long awaited Jambiya. Oh yes. The cutlass will be mine in the fall. V I'll pass this question too.

^ There are several. My hand blown, blue glass beads from Hebron, Israel. My seabean from Jonas. My celtic cross from Duncan. < I like the little story items which make a kit unique. V And it is a good question. I'll have to pass it again.

Well then, many congratulations indeed. A round of drinks for Mister Pew.

^ I love shopping when I have money to do so. < I do my share of window shopping in this hobby. V What is your next big pirate purchase?

^ Friends. It's more of a beautiful circle rather than a collection. < I like people. V I'll pass the question.

^ It's a secret. < I have a number of favorite places that I like to visit. Some I cannot visit regularly because of their proximity to me, or lack there of. V I'll pass the question on...

"Le plaisir est tout l'à moi...boucanier fier." William said, amused. He raised his hat a little off of his head and replaced it again. "Et...que le bateau...est à vous, monsieur?" Pierre looked utterly delighted, but managed to keep a formality that most boys his age would have already lost. "Ils sont tout l'à moi pour la prise, capitaine." he said with such serious venom and brashness, that William almost choked when he laughed. "Hire this boy and keep him far from my cabin." Translation... "The pleasure is all mine... proud buccaneer." William said, amused. He raised his hat a little off of his head and replaced it again. "And... which ship... is yours, sah?" Pierre looked utterly delighted, but managed to keep a formality that most boys his age would have already lost. "They are all mine for the taking, Captain." he said with such serious venom and brashness, that William almost choked when he laughed. "Hire this boy and keep him far from my cabin."

^ My grandfather. < I just got my new passport. Excellent. I am free to get up and move about the Earth. V Any big travel plans?

"Weigh that..." Petee said all at once, tossing a heavy laden purse to Mister Pew without warning. Preston, possessed of enough reflexes to catch it on the fly, was still surprised by the weight of it. It made a satisfying jingling as he caught it. "What's this then?" "Coin ov'r cliche." he said straightening and puffing furiously to get his pipe going again. The word cliche came out with particular emphasis and slur, sounding more like clee-sssshay. Preston undid the leather drawstrings to the bag which revealed a large cache of mixed coin, all gold or silver. "Worth the'r weight in gold, lad. Aye." Petee said again, his smile as broad as Preston had ever seen it. A circle of blue-white smoke encircled his head. William walked up upon this scene and Mister Pew snapped off a smart salute, as did Mister Youngblood, though it cost him a little balance. The Master Gunner seemed to be keeping his sealegs ashore. "Captain!" he said, overly loud. "Mister Youngblood. How does your business go ashore?" "Bus'ness is good, Cap'n." he said, swiping the bag back again from Preston with surprising agility. Even William seemed surprised, and wondered if the man was more jovial than drunk as he dropped the heavy bag into the Captain's waiting hands. "All...sold...Mister Youngblood?" William asked, a touch surprised. "Aye, Cap'n...and with two brass sixes into th' bargain." he said with a smile so wide it threatened to shut his eyes. "Trade off a merchantmen." he added. "We made no mention of sixes..." William said, narrowing his eyes, but smiling. "She's too purty for iron, sah." he returned, and William wasn't certain if he meant the 'Dog or the Heron. Still, William forgave him any drink that preceded his shore leave.

"Rewarding me gunnery crews I see." Petee Youngblood said as he swaggered up to the docks and gestured to the barrels with a nod as he tried to light a pipe that was being stubborn. He wore his usual pale blue coat and black hat and looked as thin as he ever had among the many broad chested dockworkers about the beachhead. Preston made a dismissive sound at this and Petee smiled, all teeth. "Ya cried to have me gone...didn't ya?" Petee continued, batting his eyes at the Master-at-Arms. It was obvious by the way that he leaned, that the Master Gunner was already into his courses and well on his way to a good hangover by the morrow. William and the men of the small boat were just bumping up against the docks.

July 30, 1704 - On the Cul du Sac Royal Between two and three bells of the Afteroon Watch William made his way to shore, rowed there by two of the Dutch recruits and in the company of Claude Marchande. They passed a merchant ship of Spanish origin, just securing herself from an Atlantic crossing. She was a proud ship of significant girth, resting heavy on the water with trade goods from the African coast. She sported an unusual number of guns for a merchant, but given the current mood of Europe and the colonies of late, it was not altogether surprising. As they passed the merchant vessel they noted a smaller vessel, much like a sloop, but not much bigger than the Heron, which lay at anchor off the merchant's Larboard bow. She showed signs of conflict and almost as much damage as the Watch Dog had shown just a few days ago. She was painted in an unusual combination of black and various shades of orange. Her stern was utterly demolished to the beams, giving her an unfinished look. One mast was mended in two places and she showed signs of a recent fire. There was also a ghostly quiet about the second vessel which implied much loss. William exhaled in a breathy whistle and shook his head as they passed. Claude uttered a solitary, 'Merde'. The Dutchmen made a few remarks together in their native tongue and William only caught the words tired, luck and hell. A man, most likely the Captain, stood near the catheads of the sloop-like ship and William inclined his head a little as they passed. The man returned the gesture with an expression that belied a preoccupation with darker thoughts. Still the small boat continued and they reached the docks during the busy afternoon hours of the day. The place was teeming with life. Bales, barrels and human cargo were coming and going from small boats. There, moving among the working mob, stood Mister Pew and his small band. "What news, Mister Pew?" William called out over the din. The Master-at-arms gestured to the many barrels lined up to go to sea. "Gifts from a friend, Sah!" "Aye, Mister Pew!" William agreed again. "Now you must befriend a ship builder!" Preston smiled at this and nodded. "Straight away, Sah!" ~Larboard Watches on Duty~

July 30, 1704 - On the Cul du Sace Royal Two bells of Afternoon Watch "What news, Mister Franklin?" William called out across the water as the boat passed near the Watch Dog on its way inland. "Nothing o' the rat to report, Cap'n." "And the barrels?" William continued, having expected no word of Tawny, and hoping none would ever be had of him again. "Hogshead o' rum. Courtesy o' a friend." "Friend indeed." William agreed as he leaned on the tiller and swung the small boat towards the frigate. "Can one suppose that you have sampled the quality." "Aye, sah." Eric said with a wide smile. "I can personally vouch for it." "Thank you, Mister Franklin. I should like you to man the quarterdeck in my absence, if you please." "Sah...I had thought to rejoin Mister Pew ashore." Eric returned, knowing full well that the Captain's requests were seldom anything but orders. "If you please, Mister Franklin." William repeated. "Aye, Sah. I shall man the quarterdeck." "Thank you Mister Franklin." William called to Claude Marchande who stood at the rail with his musket. William ordered him to fetch clothing and coin for business in town which would occupy most of the day and evening. Claude appeared delighted at the prospect of doing his watch ashore and agreed post haste. ~Larboard Watches on Duty~

^ I'm a big fan of the Mercury Coupe... ^ And of course, the Shtandart for dream boat. < I'm a big fan of so many different types of cars, that even the Mercury is only one among many. V Favorite airplane?

Somebody better drink a toast for me and mention PIP recruiting. Sigh. I really want to go and can't.

^ Yep. < I love people. Well, I'm partial to nice people. V Are you good at public speaking?

I like the reddish color, but if you could get a deeper glaze that would be even better. And this is the shape most of us lean towards in regards to an onion bottle...

^ Just the one pirate event in Key West which is the furthest event I travel to. < However, I am going overseas this year for vacation. V Most remote spot you've ever visited on Earth?