William Brand

I envy the fellow for his books and instruments.

Many of them were hunted to extinction, but a few died as a result of the shift in the ecosystem by displacement and the killing of the other species. Some early accounts talk about settlers killing dodos out of boredom, but while the human impact is the primary cause at Madagascar and Reunion, it is not always the case everywhere. For example, a fish in Utah lake was fished heavily for years, but when the lake dropped dramatically because of drought one year and froze at a level too low that winter, the fish were actually overcrowded under the ice and the population never recovered and eventually went extinct. Still, the human impact can be heavy. In Cuba, many species of native rats and mice were killed by the introduction of European rats brought over on ships. I only brought it up because it's interesting to imagine that sailors ate something that no longer exists today. Pirates traveling around the Cape of Good Hope into the spice regions of the Orient could have eaten dodo, ibis, pigeons and crane that are just gone now.

Too true. I had at least three different accounts of species being harvested to extinction for settlers and sailors in the Caribbean, but lost the references five years back along with numerous other materials I had collected. I do know of a great many extinction incidents in Madagascar and surrounding islands, such as Reunion during the Golden Age. The area is notorious for extinction, especially when you consider the fate of the Dodo. The Réunion Shelduck or Kervazo's Egyptian Goose (Alopochen kervazoi) is an extinct species of goose from Réunion. It was a close relative of the Egyptian Goose and was about the same size. There is only one description remaining, that of Dubois made in 1674. He merely mentions that they were similar to European geese but smaller, with the bill and feet being red. Apart from that, the species is only known from brief reports and subfossil bones. Waterfowl on Réunion were overhunted. As early as 1667, François Martin complained of unsustainable hunting. The last record of the species is a 1709 listing of de la Merveille who stated that ducks and geese occurred "in quantity", but as Feuilley had not listed waterfowl in his 1705 catalogue of Réunion's animals, de la Merveille's record is obviously based on obsolete hearsay information. Thus, the last record of the species appears to be the report of Père Bernardin in 1687. The species probably became extinct during the 1690s. The Mauritian Shelduck (Alopochen mauritianus) is an extinct species of goose from Mauritius. It was a close relative of the Egyptian Goose. Known from one or two subfossil carpometacarpus bones and a few descriptions, this bird was about the size of a Brent Goose. Its appearance is unknown, except that its wings showed the typical color pattern of shelducks. It is sometimes considered conspecific with the Malagasy Shelduck; in this case it would become the nominate subspecies, as Alopochen mauritianus mauritianus. Sometimes even in scholarly sources one can find references to a supposed "Mauritius Swan" or "Mauritius Comb Goose". These refer to the initial misidentification of the Alopochen mauritianus bones as belonging to the genus Sarkidiornis, but as early as 1897 the true nature of this bird was realized. Like its Réunion relative, the Mauritian Shelduck was rapidly hunted to extinction. Still reasonably plentiful in 1681, the population collapsed soon afterwards, and Leguat found "wild geese" to be "already rare" in 1693. In 1698, governor Deodati declared them to be extinct. Elephant birds, which were giant ratites native to Madagascar, have been extinct since at least the 17th century. Étienne de Flacourt, a French governor of Madagascar in the 1640s and 1650s, recorded frequent sightings of elephant birds. Also the famous explorer and traveler Marco Polo mentions very large birds in his accounts of his journeys to the East during the 12th-13th centuries. These earlier accounts are today believed to describe elephant birds. Aepyornis was the world's largest bird, believed to have been over 3 metres (10 ft) tall and weighing close to 400 kg (880 lb). Remains of Aepyornis adults and eggs have been found; in some cases the eggs have a circumference of over 1 metre (3 ft) and a length up to 34 centimetres (13 in). The egg volume is about 160 times greater than a chicken egg. Réunion Pochard, Aythya cf. innotata (Réunion, Mascarenes, c.1690s) The bird became extinct on both islands almost simultaneously and for the same reason: overhunting. On Mauritus, the "grey teals" were found in "great numbers" in 1681, but in 1693, Leguat (1708) found "wild ducks" to be already rare. In 1696, governor Deodati mentioned the species for the last time to be extant. On Réunion, the species is last mentioned to occur "in quantity" in de la Merveille's 1709 listing of the island's wildlife, but as Feuilley had not listed waterfowl in his 1705 report, de la Merveille's record is obviously based on obsolete hearsay information. The last reliable Réunion record of the species appears to be the report of Père Bernardin in 1687; thus, the date of extinction can be assumed to be the late 1690s on Mauritius, and a few years earlier on Réunion. The reports of Bernardin and (1710) Boucher are puzzling insofar as that they mention both geese, sarcelles (teals, this species) as well as canards (ducks, larger than sarcelles) as occurring or having occurred on Réunion. It is possible that a carpometacarpus bone apparently of an Aythya diving duck is referrable to these canards. If so, these birds were probably related to the Madagascar Pochard, of which only small numbers are known to remain. The Red Rail or Red Hen of Mauritius, Aphanapteryx bonasia, is an extinct rail. It was only found on the island of Mauritius. The Red Rail, which today is only known from a large number of bones, some descriptions and a handful of drawings and paintings, was a flightless bird, somewhat larger than a chicken (about 50 cm). Its plumage was reddish brown all over, and the feathers were fluffy and hairlike; the tail was not visible in the living bird and the short wings likewise also nearly disappeared in the plumage. It had a long, slightly curved, brown bill and comparatively (for a rail) long legs. Altogether, it resembled a lean kiwi more than a rail. The Red Rail is discussed in almost every report about Mauritius from 1602 on; however, the details provided are repetitive and do not shed much light on the bird's life history; rather, they dwell upon the varying ease with which the bird could be caught according to the hunting method and the fact that when roasted it was considered a good substitute for pork. Most of the information on the appearance of the bird comes from the painting by Joris Hoefnagel, done from a bird living in the menagerie of Emperor Rudolph II around 1600. More enigmatically, a bird resembling a Red Rail is figured in Francesco Bassano the Younger's painting Arca di Noè ("Noah's Ark"). As Bassano died before the Dutch colony was established on Mauritius in 1598, the origin of the bird is a mystery. Finally, there are some rather crude depictions of what apparently is this bird in three of the 1620s dodo paintings by Roelant Savery. What can be said is that around 1600, possibly earlier, a small number of Red Rails reached Europe alive. In addition, there are four more or less crude drawings done on Mauritius. The rail was hunted to extinction in the century after its discovery. The dodo was considered rather unpalatable, and usually only killed out of curiosity or boredom, but the Red Rail was a very popular gamebird for the Dutch and French settlers. While it could usually make good its escape when chased, it was easily lured by showing the birds a red cloth, which they approached to attack; a similar behavior was noted in its relative, the Rodrigues Rail. The birds could then be picked up, and their cries when held would draw more individuals to the scene, as the birds, which had evolved in the absence of predators, were curious and not afraid of humans. As it nested on the ground, pigs which ate their eggs and young probably contributed to its extinction. When François Leguat (1708), who had become intimately familiar with the Rodrigues Rail in the preceding years, came to Mauritius in 1693, he remarked that the Red Rail had already become rare; he was the last source to mention the bird. It can be assumed to have been extinct around 1700. Determination of the rail's status and disappearance is complicated because the local name for the dodo, Todaersen (or dodaersen, "fat-arses") was transferred to the Red Rail, which was just as plump-rumped, with the dodo's impending extinction. The Réunion Rail (Dryolimnas augusti) also known as Dubois's Wood-rail is an extinct rail species which was endemic to the Mascarenes island of Réunion. The scientific name commemorates French poet Auguste de Villèle (1858-1943) whose interest in the history of Réunion and hospitality made it possible for numerous naturalists to discover and explore the caves of Réunion. The subfossil remains of the Réunion rail were unearthed in 1996 in the Caverne de la Tortue on Réunion and scientifically described in 1999. The material includes two complete tarso-metatarsi, five vertebrae, one sacrum, one coracoid, two humeri, one ulna, three femora, ten pedal phalanxes and one fragment of the left mandibula. The appearance of the bones identifies the Réunion rail as close relative of the White-throated Rail and the Aldabra rail. The large and stout tarsometatarsus shows that it might have been the largest known taxon within the genus Dryolimnas. Historically there is one travel report which might refer to this species. In 1674 Sieur Dubois mentioned a rail in his report “Les voyages faits par le sievr D.B. aux isles Dauphine ou Madagascar, & Bourbon, ou Mascarenne, és années 1669, 70, 71, & 72: dans laquelle il est curieusement traité du cap Vert de la ville de Surate des isles de Sainte Helene, ou de l'Ascension: ensemble les moeurs, religions, forces, gouvernemens & coûtumes des habitans desdites isles, avec l'histoire naturelle du païs. Paris : Chez Claude Barbin“ which he named «Râle des Bois» (translated as wood-rail). This species should be not confused with the Réunion Swamphen which referred too as «Oiseau Bleu» in the same report. The Réunion Swamphen was described as large as the Réunion Sacred Ibis (previously known as Réunion Solitaire) while the Réunion rail might have reached approximately the size of the Common moorhen. The Réunion rail was probably flightless because the proportions of the wing bones in comparison to those of the leg bones are similar to those of Aldabra rail which is likewise flightless. As Dubois's account is the only historical reference about the Réunion rail it might be possible that it became extinct in the late 17th century. The Mascarene Coot (Fulica newtoni) is an extinct species of coot that inhabited the Mascarene islands of Mauritius and Réunion. Long known from subfossil bones found on the former island, but only assumed from descriptions to also have been present on the latter, remains have more recently been found on Réunion also. Early travellers' reports from Mauritius were, in reverse, generally assumed to refer to Common Moorhens, but it seems that this species only colonized the island after the extinction of the endemic coot. The Mascarene Coot was a large bird and while not flightless, it had reduced flying ability, so that if pursued, it would have even more preferred to escape by diving than it is already a general habit of the coots. As the bird had considerable stamina, it could have easily crossed the ocean between the islands, explaining why a single species occurred on both islands. Dubois is the last author to mention the coot on Réunion. In 1667, François Martin had already complained that hunters had killed off the population on the Etang de Saint-Paul, although the bird was generally considered to be of disagreeable taste. The species fared little better on Mauritius, with Leguat (1708) being, in 1693, the last to record the endemic poules d'eau, saying they were "already rare". Apart from hunting, settlement activity leading to destruction of the marshland habitat seems to have played a major role in the species' extinction. The Bermuda Night Heron (Nyctanassa carcinocatactes) is an extinct heron species from Bermuda. It is sometimes assigned to the genus Nycticorax. It was first described in 2006 by Storrs L. Olson and David B. Wingate from subfossil material found in the Pleistocene and Holocene deposits in caves and ponds of Bermuda. Its anatomy was rather similar to its living relative, the Yellow-crowned Night Heron (N. violacea), but it had a heavier bill, a more massive skull and more robust hind limbs. The specialization of the bill and the hind limbs showed that it was apparently adapted to the feeding on land crabs. There are also early historian reports referring to that species. It possibly became extinct due to the settlement of the Bermuda islands in the 17th century. The Réunion Night Heron (Nycticorax duboisi) is an extinct species of heron formerly occurring on the Mascarene island of Réunion. It was for a long time only known from a single description, that of Dubois published in 1674. He speaks of "bitterns" the size of fat chickens which had grey plumage with white feather-tips and green feet. When subfossil bones were finally recovered in the late 20th century, they were initially described under a new name as the original description was believed to be invalid. However, only the genus initially assigned by Rothschild was incorrect. The Réunion Night Heron was the largest Nycticorax of the Mascarene Islands and larger even than the Nankeen Night Heron. Unlike its relatives from Mauritius and Rodrigues, it was not adapted to a terrestrial lifestyle; its wings were strong and its legs not adapted to chasing prey on foot. Dubois mentions that the birds lived on fish. Altogether, the Réunion species would have appeared very much like an oversized juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron like the one in this image. Of all the reports mentioning ardeid birds on Réunion, only the one of Dubois can be assigned to this species. Significantly, Feuilley in 1705 did not mention these birds, and only in the second half of the 18th century are herons on Réunion referred to again, with the Striated Heron being the only species found, but "very rare". Thus, the Réunion Night Heron probably became extinct around 1700. However, as there are no good reasons for its disappearance (neither habitat destruction nor introduced predators would have affected it much, nor does it seem to have a favorite target for hunters), it may have persisted until considerably later. The Mauritius Night Heron (Nycticorax mauritianus) is an extinct night heron species from Mauritius. It is only known by seven subfossil bone remains consisted of cranium, pelvis, coracoid, ulna, radius, and tarsometatarsus found in Mare aux Songes. Only the coracoid and the tarsometatarsus are left today. It was scientifically discussed in 1893 by Alfred Newton and Hans Gadow from the Cambridge University. Newton and Gadow measured the tarsometatarsus with 81 to 87 mm. It became presumedly extinct in the late 17th century and was probably first mentioned by François Leguat in 1693 who described them as "great flight of bitterns". The Réunion Sacred Ibis, Threskiornis solitarius, is an extinct bird species that was native to the island of Réunion. It is probably the same bird discovered by Portuguese sailors there in 1613. Until recently assumed by biologists to have been a relative of the Dodo (Raphus cucullatus), it was thus classified as a member of the didine pigeons (subfamily Raphinae) and called the "Réunion Solitaire" (Raphus solitarius). It had a white plumage, with black wingtips and tail, and a dark, naked head. Bill and legs were long, the former slim and slightly downcurved. All in all, it looked much like a small Sacred Ibis with short wings. The Réunion Sacred Ibis lived solitarily in deep forests near freshwater, where it fed on invertebrates like worms and crustaceans which it caught or dug out of the mud with its long beak. If threatened, it is described to have tried to get away on foot, but using its wings for assistance and to glide short distances, especially downhill. The old vernacular name "Réunion Flightless Ibis" is thus misleading. Travellers' reports as well as bone measurements indicate that it was well on its way to flightlessness, but could still fly some distance on its own power after a running take-off. The last account of the "Réunion Solitaire" was recorded in 1705, indicating that the species probably became extinct sometime early in that century. The bird was at various times identified with 17th century descriptions and paintings of a white dodo-like bird, which did not match the descriptions of solitaries (reclusive non-gregarious large birds) seen by contemporary explorers on Réunion very well – apart from being mostly white. Due to this, some assumed two species (Raphus solitarius and Victoriornis imperialis) co-existed on Réunion (or "Bourbon", as it was called in former times) – one dodo-like, one resembling the Rodrigues Solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria). The latter was a dodo relative that generally was not a social bird but for breeding formed monogamous couples. These defended a territory around their large, easily recognized ground nest, deep in the woods; they were thus said to have a "solitary" lifestyle. Though the same French word was used for the birds of both Rodrigues and Réunion, the Réunion Solitaire was given this name because only single individuals were usually encountered all year round. Similar nesting behaviour as on Rodrigues (in the Réunion bird, or in the dodo for that matter) was never reported, marking a conspicuous difference between the two species. The bird was first described as follows by Mr. Tatton, the Chief Officer of Captain Castleton: The Réunion Pink Pigeon (Nesoenas duboisi, but see below) is an extinct species of pigeon that formerly lived on the Mascarene island of Réunion. It is known from the description of a rusty-red pigeon given by Dubois in 1674 and a single subfossil humerus that agrees with that of the Pink Pigeon of Mauritius in generic characteristics, except being slightly longer. Also, Dubois' reference to the bill being red at the base and the eyes being surrounded by a red ring suggest that this species was closely allied to the Mauritus taxon. Its genus Nesoenas was often synonymized with Columba in the past, but more recently it has been synonymized with Streptopelia. As the Pink Pigeon and the Madagascar Turtle Dove cannot be firmly placed in either of these two genera but apparently represent a distinct lineage that diverged early, probably from the ancestor of Streptopelia, it seems (at least for the time being) to be best to separate them again in Nesoenas. This restores the genus of the Réunion Pink Pigeon to the one it was originally described under. There seem to have been one to three other species of columbid on Réunion (not counting the invalidated "Réunion Solitaire"). Bontekoe mentioned ramiers (doves) with blue wings in 1619 as being abundant; apparently a species of Alectroenas. Dubois, on the other hand, referred to no less than four kinds of pigeons: ramiers, tourterelles (turtle doves) and two kinds of pigeon, one rusty red - the present species -, the other slate grey. Either the ramiers or the tourterelles of Dubois could refer to a local population of the Madagascar Turtle Dove, possibly an extinct subspecies, which is known from one subfossil humerus and one ulna. The slate-grey bird or the ramiers, respectively, seem to be the birds described by Bontekoe. What the remaining form - the tourterelles or the slate-grey pigeons, respectively - might have been is completely unresolvable at this time, although the possibility of it being a relative of the Rodrigues Grey Pigeon cannot be entirely discounted. Since the Réunion Pink Pigeon was only mentioned explicitly by Dubois, little can be said about its extinction. The last reports of native pigeons were by Père Bernardin in 1687 and by Guillaume Houssaye in 1689, although the Alectroenas may have existed for a somewhat longer time. Feuilley in 1705 mentioned that all native pigeons were extinct; it seems likely that introduced rats and cats, combined with excessive hunting, were the causes of the birds' extinction. The Malagasy Turtle Dove (Nesoenas picturata), also known as the Malagasy Turtle-dove, is a bird species in the pigeon and dove family, Columbidae. It is found in British Indian Ocean Territory, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Réunion, and Seychelles. It has several subspecies. The Rodrigues Turtle-dove, an extinct but fairly enigmatic taxon from Rodrigues on the Mascarenes may have been another subspecies of N. picturata or a distinct species N. rodericana. The Pink Pigeon (N. mayeri) is its closest living relative, and together they form a lineage apart from both the typical pigeons (Columba) and the typical turtle-doves (Streptopelia), slightly closer to the latter if anything. Consequently, either these two are both placed in Streptopelia, or – as is probably the most accurate solution at present – separated as Nesoenas. The present species was in former times sometimes placed in a monotypic genus Homopelia. While this is not outright wrong, if the Rodrigues population is also placed in Homopelia and Nesoenas is considered distinct too, it would probably be considered oversplitting by modern authors. Though some island populations are rare – some precariously so – as a whole N. picturata is considered a Species of Least Concern by the IUCN. The Réunion Owl (Mascarenotus grucheti) was a small owl that occurred on the Mascarene island of Réunion, but became extinct before living birds could be described; it is only known from subfossil bones. It belongs to the Mascarene owls of the genus Mascarenotus, and most likely was similar to a Long-eared Owl in size and appearance, but with nearly naked legs. The Mascarene Owls were, however, more closely related to the genus Ninox. Compared to the Mauritius Owl and the Rodrigues Owl, it was the most terrestrial species of the genus, with long legs and possibly somewhat reduced flight capability; more probably though it was simply smaller than the Mauritius bird - between that species and the one from Rodrigues in size - but had equally long legs: the only suitable food available in quantity on Réunion were small birds. It can be assumed to have preyed on sleeping songbirds in the manner of the unrelated but convergent Grallistrix "stilt-owls" from Hawai'i. As the bird is not mentioned by any contemporary report, it was either very secretive or became extinct more early than its congeners. Notably, it is not contained in the comprehensive listing of local fauna that Dubois made in 1671-72. By that time, the only introduced predators were pigs. Inferring from the ecology, it is likely that the birds succumbed to predation by rats and maybe cats as they must have been able enough for flight not to be killed off by pigs and thus only became extinct after Dubois' visit, at some date closer to the year 1700. If the bird was ground-nesting, however, it might have been extinct even by the time Dubois did not record it, but this hypothesis does not seem to agree what can be inferred from the rather long survival of its Mauritius relative.

Is that even possible? Aye. The line between sauced and laid to rest is pretty broad. We'll add just enough this year that they won't have to embalm when the time comes.

We should discuss those fishes that were eaten into extinction on very specific islands at some point. Certain varieties of birds as well. We don't think of these of course, because, well...they're gone.

Have we also talked about diet yet? You could get crazy detailed and alter your smell, perfume, stink, what-have-you by eating a very specific regional diet.

Aye. Throw the dice.

The Monmouth Caps are made by Kristen Wilkinson.

We're planning something special. This year I'll be even more sober and Chrispy will be even more drunk.

The added fee is no surprise to me. I'm more surprised that they haven't charged before now, what with so many tightening park budgets across the board. I've visited some five different parks in the last ten years that are now permanently closed. I don't mind paying a fee that seems negligible in comparison to my travel costs. I'm looking forward to the auction.

Aye. A very happy birthday!

I was sorting through some old files and found some limericks I wrote on a pirate site I used to frequent before I found the Pub. Period terms can be most suggestive in or out of context. He found a wench willing and able to be tied up and had on the table, but while tying the knot he was put on the spot by an uncertain groin in the cable. (When the cable does not coil as it should it is said to have a 'groin'.) When the coxswain went over the side Catalina would not let it slide It's a terrible pox to lose a good cox so she came hard about on the tide

To our own, Captain Lasseter! Sometimes Captain. Sometimes Quartermaster. Always a capital fellow. A very hearty happy birthday to you and yours on this most specific and individual holiday.

More cages with skeletons. I think we need at least ten.

Welcome aboard! It's good to see people joining in throngs.

No, it was a good guess. I actually first thought of trunnions, and thought that it might be some idiom for fixing the raft with rope on fixed points, but then I remembered trunneling, because I recently helped paint and seal up the ox barn out at the American West Heritage Center. The barn out there was built with the peg and post system of trunneling adopted from shipbuilding techniques. That barn is going to stand forever.

I'm sure it's an alternate spelling for 'trunneled' which is a shipbuilding term for fixing timbers together with long, wooden pegs. Water causes the pegs to swell and hold the timbers fast together. Great description. Thank you again for all of your avid reading.

Yes. In two separate drawings of the late 17th century a church is depicted in Fort du Rocher, which is not surprising, given the very Catholic nature of the French. I have seen other drawings of the island depicting buildings mounted with crosses, though I do not know the names of the churches or monasteries depicted. Since both the Spanish and French occupied the island more than once and sometimes at the same time, there would have to be churches. It's harder to find a Spanish or French settled island without one church and as many as a dozen. Both of these 17th century maps of Tortuga below show the same two primary locations, utilizing the most basic emblems for maps of the period. A fort (or whole community built around a fort) is depicted as a building with a large standard or flag flying from the roof. As period flags were often square, this just looks like a square flying from the peak of the roof. A church or monastery (or a community built around the same) will have a building affixed with a cross. Maps from the mid 16th century into the late 18th century use these two basic emblems all of the time.

First, our thoughts and best wishes to you and Poppa. We all hope that both you and he can weather a short, quick recovery. We're glad to hear that Lily and Jai are taking the helm in your stead and that Mike is supporting our efforts through the park services. We've already begun our plans and projects for the upcoming festival and we look forward to escaping what's expected to be a cold winter in these parts. I think we need to make a goal of finding boogater before this year's event! Or as I like to think of him...Bamboogater. Where is our supplier of all things bamboo? Again, best wishes in the coming weeks.

Welcome aboard! Where do you hail from?

Welcome aboard! Platonically.

Thanks for taking many pictures! It looks like a great time was had by all.

And I agree. I' was simply stating that I've seen people that choose to play every walk of life. I cited 'whores' to illustrate that hobbyists of our period will re-enact the loftiest and lowliest of occupations. I see a great deal of romanticism and idealism in personas across many genres (piracy, middle ages, civil war, etc.), so it's nice to see blunt, even honest portrayals from all aspects of society.

Cries of 'MAN OVERBOARD!' were heard everywhere at once, so that William chanced to wonder if more had been lost over the side than he had witnessed. He almost collided with Tudor at the stairway as he rushed down to the main deck. The crew had polarized instantly to Starboard and Larboard as every able eye scanned the water for signs of those hands carried off. Men piled upon the remaining line of rigging born up by Ajayi, so that he was relived at the rail, for strong as he was he was still recovering from too many injuries to bear up three men. It did not help that the Watch Dog bore over the netted sailors and threatened to carry the rescuers over the side. Even the line threatened to part. William arrived amidships and vaulted a man just recovering himself. He grabbed at the remainder of the bulwark and joined all the eyes and pointing fingers. Debris was on the water. Something, or many things together, shattered in the surgery then, and while the sound was appreciated as destruction, it went ignored on the weatherdecks. Another prisoner dared his feet in the chaos, not out of any defiance or decision to escape, but out of fear for so much damage in a storm that was regathering in strength. One of the Dog's men employed there gave him the working end of a musket butt for forgetting his place. Lazarus burst out of the galley, barefoot and wide eyed, now come to see what had happened outside his view. He was at the rail at once scanning for whomever had gone over. Bloody Thunder would have run loose again, but Andrew Light had the presence of mind to drop one loop of a cable about the neck of it, and though it tore free from it's place, the frigate was saved any further damages as a groin in the cable caught in the woodwork. Three men threw themselves upon the wayward gun and subdued it. John McGinty, still reeling from his own near demise and the loss of Ciaran, had recovered himself enough to shout out the location of the Patricia, for she was nowhere near the 'Dog at all. Overturned, seemingly unmanned and plowing through the water, she was observed trailing after the already vanished Navarra. The longboat was now little more than a wedge of wood tangled up in the line that had bridged the open sea between the two ships. The same line went taught and parted without much resistance, mercifully sparing the Lucy harm, but for what appeared to be the remainder of one of her own, for a boat of the cutter was damaged and sinking in the open sea. Jim Warren went forward to the bow with a speed he'd marvel about later. The adrenaline that had carried him forward flew him all the way to the figurehead and he was the last man of the 'Dog to see the Navarra disappearing under full sail bearing with her the line which carried the Patricia away. He sent her onward with more than a few carefully chosen expletives, and if curses were weight, then the Navarra would not outlast the hour.