William Brand

Welcome to the chaos!

Welcome aboard, Matthew. Glad to see another pirate in the community.

Done.

Fantastic pictures!

Just a refreshing of the topic. We're just over two months out now (June 4-5). http://www.ftdechartres.com/page/page/3373941.htm

Welcome aboard!

Excellent images from the event. It's almost like being there, but more like not being there at all and wishing that I had been and will be.

I can.

We have an honest to goodness invitation. See what I did there? I used 'honest' and 'goodness' while describing an invitation to a pirate festival. Sorry. Still, we're invited so let's talk logistics. Who wants to do a sea battle and some hangin's?

Want.

Just talked to number of pirates on Skype from the camp of the Mercury. Capt J was kind enough to fly me in (electronically speaking) as they drank rum and wine and ate oysters in the half shell. they are having way too much fun. There's even talk of walking down to the old Anti-pirate fort to raise the flag.

Ahoy, the Mercury! Good luck in everything today and hearty hello to every other crew and pirate at Searles! Wow the crowds, have fun and recruit.

The Watch Dog's smallboats went over the side, and down into these went the line, those necessary blocks and many a handpicked man to see to the Lucy's needs. The longboat crossed over bearing the weight of the hemp and she was shadowed by the jollywatt. More than one length of hemp was sent, so that by lines hung high and lines strung low, the ships might gam and pass what cargo they may back and forth. They were some time apart at first as care was used to place them close enough to work, but far enough apart that the smallboats ducked out from between them. Then they came together and the press of ships and men brought the Whole Company together. What passed for order in that first hour was a kind of orchestrated chaos. There was never a time when an order wasn't carried across both decks by one officer or another. Bosuns answered Bosuns and Masters answered Masters as everyone pitched in when called. Dorian, Preston, William and Jim poured over matters, charts, recommendations, observations, problems, persons and the occasional false sighting of the overdue Navarra. The greater part of their forces were employed at the pumps and in the stowing of goods to drier places aboard ship or to the heavy holds of the frigate. The 'Dog became the greater island at sea, while the Lucy was carefully righted. She listed less in that hour, but continued to favor her wounded side as the carpenters answered hammers with hammers. Work was the watchword. No one rested.

I love this particular quote... A South Carolina bill introduced in 1717 argued that "the ownership of one white man" should be a prerequisite for State Assembly membership.

PM sent. Thank you very much!

My compliments. An excellent piece of work from research to completion. Good luck with the hours of hand lettering that you have planned. I can't wait to see them filled and in regular use.

"Ahoy the Lucy!" William shouted out, hard enough to feel the strain of it in his throat, despite the use of the trumpet. It was enough to carry his voice and be understood aboard the cutter. "Ahoy, the 'Dog!" came back Lasseter's clear voice. "How d' you fair?" William smiled at the question, since they seemed to fair by greater degrees then the Lucy. She looked unwell in the climate, and William frowned long enough that he forgot to answer quickly enough. "How is it with you?" came the Captain's voice again and William returned a short, concise description of the frigate. Lasseter returned the hurts of Lucy at once and was so precise as to lay out the urgency of her needs. William looked first to Jim. Jim was shaking his head with his brow furrowed. "I don't like this calm enough not to gam and put her right. She's not so bad that she's lost and not so right that the sea won't take her." William turned to Jacob. The Bosun looked back at the darkness from whence they had come. "Navarra is o'erdue for a sighting. Gammin' should bring her upon us." Jack just nodded in assent. William agreed with them all. He raised the trumpet again. "Prepare to receive line and men!"

We could make use of those for Liam.

Just had to toss the idea about in my head, because my gut reaction was 'marketplace', since it's a sharing of goods even without the sale of them. I'll mull it over some more and then move it or pin it here. Either way, I thinks it's a fabulous idea. I'll have to see what I have to throw into the mix.

Indeed. I wish we had a translation of those. Most of the images I find, in museums and recreated at historic sites, stem from royal emblems. For example, the above use of three Fluer-de-lis. This is of course French and the same three emblems appear on French coins of the same period. I've found some excellent examples of such symbols use both on coins and containers of the era, so I plan to make some block stamps of a few of these for the purpose of marking barrels and bales. I'll post pdf examples of these for anyone wishing to use them for camp props.

I would love the use of the Master Wedge Tent again, and thank you once again for lending it to me last year. I was most dry and comfortable.

Welcome aboard. You'll find no shortage of interesting topics and enthusiasts here.

I meant to post these French marks after Fort de Chartres back in June and forgot.

We'd love to have you there, Mate. You should know that we cheered you on at Fort Taylor for all of your efforts with the Dead Man's Chest over the years.