William Brand

Huzzah Mercury! capatain, mostly due to william... Ohhhh no. I have to pass credit along to those who fed and furnished. John, Janet and Bo did more than me. I just wear one hat among the many good people of the crew.

Rumors of my death, have been greatly exaggerated... ...and so forth. Made it home after 1 in the morning last night. My many thanks to everyone who participated. You all made it what it was and we we're greatly praised by factions from the fort.

I promise to shoot a great many more pictures than I did last year.

Excellent. Come by and make yourself known.

Projects all but done. Tickets waiting at the counter. Kit laid out. Now the frenzied, final day of packing, plotting and panicking.

What the...?

I was and still am looking forward to the finished product.

Captain Brand was not content to simply watch things unfold anymore than anyone else was. He had joined the deck mob employed at the rails rallied there to bring the cutter's cargo aboard ship. No man looked at or spoke of the Lucy as a lost ship, for there was portent and weight in too much talk, so misgivings were self absorbed. For the moment, William was just another able body amidships following his own orders as they came through Jim. Mister Warren was orchestrating the whole crew with the quick rapidity of combat requirements but with no less calm then a dock boss on an afternoon. For now, everything was ferrying, lifting, hauling and stowing. They might have been at anchor, but for the threat of more rain on approach. This was a time of orders and order, but for one sneak-thief who pocketed a penny or two while others worked. He slipped among the swinging, but empty hammocks and pilfered a coin here, and a trinket there, careful not to take so much that they might be noticed. Smiling to think how he might drift so quietly away at Trinidad and home again. His humble ransacking done, he slipped among the rank and file of the decks unchecked by any man.

Yay! Cheered me up at the end of a very long day.

It doesn't make him look lazy. It makes him look devoted, or even obsessed. Working, eating and now sleeping aboard the Luna.

Tease. Best of luck in making the event.

And if you can get it fresh during the growing season there...

Everyone should have a breakfast from Jerusalem at least once. Lot's of fresh vegetables, fruit and cheeses.

I've been her for almost seven years and should see another seven unless Stynky turns off the lights.

Ouch. You'll be missed, but I'll take as many pictures as I can, so you won't miss everything.

We're with the military groups near the gate, but I don't know who will be there Thursday. I would like the Mercury set up in a circle open on one side or an open square if possible, with all tents facing into the middle for a shared fire, so once Darrell or someone else from the fort shows you the spot, try to imagine the best setup towards whatever avenue we face. I don't remember the table, but I'm sure we could use it. Thank you. I'll make sure we get some boxes. Someone else will have to answer that. I don't know who's bringing what for cooking.

Ohhh very nice. Grand work, Bo, and thank you. I managed to pick up a little, portable writing desk and this will fit with some of my new chart stuff perfectly.

Let me know the price on those as well. Anything to help you with travel money and fill up a few gaps in my kit.

Well, feel free to make more of that style. I'd love choices and I'll probably take a pair. Do you think you could fabricate a pair of dividers for use on a map? Styles vary, so I'm just looking for function over form.

Sorry, but I've wanted a striker for ever so long and that's the one I like. Bo, will you be making any more worms and strikers?

Save aside the topmost 'striker' for me and let me know the price. I'll have to ponder on the linstock.

The picture doesn't do it justice.

This is an excerpt from a piece written by James Johnson. Unfortunately, the article did not contain citations. "Some of the Caribbean Pirates seemed genuinely concerned about religion. Few people realise that Captain William Kidd was the son of a Scottish missionary and donated a significant portion of his profits to found the Trinity Church in New York. He felt he was blessed by God and should return what he had been given. Captain "Black" Bart Roberts wore a red waist coat and a gold chain with a diamond studded cross. He established a code as to how everybody should be treated and was adamantly opposed to slavery, feeling that God created all men as equals. God, or some one, certainly looked after him as he officially sunk 479 ships in less than 19 months, more than any three other pirates combined! He said he lived a short but happy life. Even the feared Franois L'Ollonais, the pirate who reportedly ate a beating, bleeding, human heart wanted the blessings of God. He went to Martinique and persuaded a Catholic priest to come on board and bless the crew. Unfortunately, one crew member wasn't impressed and interrupted the service, causing L'Ollonais to pull out a pistol and shoot the crew member, throwing the body overboard, threatening to send anybody else to meet their maker, and asking the priest to pardon the interruption."

Light? Innocent? Understatements for effect.

There are some obvious objects, like jugs, ship's rigging, etc. Typical of a maritime painting. The white object in the foreground is most likely a 'bale' of textiles or soft goods. The rest appear to be passenger trunks and shipping trunks more than any true sea chests. I like the barrels. They have a very interesting cross timber on the ends that you don't see that often in paintings of this kind.