crimsoncrow

Centers on Mercenary Wench with a michievous smile. Sangria....on ye, lass?......Tis a gran' t'ought, fer true.....Rubs chin in contemplation. Me t'inks what ye really mean is sharin' the bottle....Chuckles. Thankee fer the Jameson, Red an' congrats to yer new Notorious rankin'! A fine t'in' indeed, me bully boy! Tries not to pay too much attention to the gold buttons. Pours a refill of Jameson, refocusing on the flight of chairs. Fine job on'na harp there Phil! Aye.....Tis notes that stir me soul, true as true is. Tis a pity that me fiddle be down at the Pub er I would be joinin' ye, lad. Mayhaps anot'er tyme.

Congrats, lass! A well deserved win, fer true!

Wanders in, nodding to all present and pauses to take in the chaos that has happened recently. Raising an eyebrow to the loose shot lying about, takes a quiet table by the taff rail. T'underin' Jayz, Will! Tosses hat on the tabletop. Me t'inks yer week be as hectic as me own. Shakes head with a heavy sigh. A bottle o' Jameson, if ye please. Mayhaps it will chase the deamons o' the week at post away......An' if it don', well then.....Me t'inks it will be numbin' the reality fer a wee bit. Chuckles.

Diego, me bully boy! Tis been a donkey's years since I heard that one an' I be knowin' it well! Here be one from the Auld Sod in honors o' Saint Patrick's: An Irishman said with a grouch, "Tis winter when ye sneeze an' ye slouch, Ye can't take yer woman, In'na boat er fer swimmin', But alot can be done on'na couch!

Aye, true as true is. As we like to say: T'irst is a shameless disease, so heres to a shameful cure! There be anot'er that makes me grin.... Some be sayin' the glass be half empty an' others say it be half full. An Irishman will tell ye to hold yer gob an' finish the dimn t'in'!

Well then, lad....If yer buyin', I'll be drinkin'! A jar o' Jameson to warm me ol' Irish heart an' the next one be mine to pay!

Well now, Cap'n Morgan....The trut' be known, Saint Patrick wasno' Irishman at all....As embarrased as I be to admitin' it. Check yer history an' be a good lad an' don' be rubbin' it in too much. Cringes at the thought.

Aye, yer a lad after me own heart, Red! I'll be one to partake in yer offerin's o' Boxty an' a wee o' Dublin Coddle, if ye will. A jar o' porter to wet me whistle to the side. I knew there be a reason I be frequentin' yer place. Pull up a chair an' make it a bottle o' porter, we'll raise a salute to good ol' Saint Paddy!

Sprays whiskey and starts coughing at the overhearing of "frog legs" as a menu request. Jayzu, Red!! You canno' be tellin' me yer abusein' Frenchies down in'na hold. Blinks in shock. Tell me it is no' so, lad.....Brow furrows. Tis a shame fer true......

Calls across the room to William. Careful there, boyo...I be in hopes that yer stamina be up to snuff. Chuckles. That wee package o' dynamite will be puttin' ye through yer paces like a prize pony on race day! Takes a swig from tankard and smiles at M.W. When ye start wearin' out, lad....tag me. winks.

Joins Mercenary Wench at the bar, making a bow of respect. Tis a fine t'in' to be layin' eyes on ye, lass! An'na fillin' o' me tankard be such a gran' idea an' I thankee. Yer lookin' well as e'er an' mahaps ye can con meself into a jig an' reel in'na wee. Raises an eyebrow in query. Yer next round o' liquid heart's desire be on me own coin, lass.

Strolls on deck and hears William's voice. Red! Tis a fine sight to me eyes ye are! Shepherd's Pie, ye say?! Put meself down fer a double servin' o' such delight an'na jar o' Jameson. Yer place be doin' well as I see it! Have yerself a seat an' catch me up, me boyo. Surveys the surround. I be in'na mood fer dinner an'na show....grins Bring on the Dancin' Gerls!

Aye yer Honor, true as true is......Jus'ly accused an' condemned. Not'in' like a hot summer day, a cold 'Rita an' a big ol' helpin' o' Barometer Soup!

Aye, lass...Flops down at the nearest table, ordering a round for self and M.W. A ballad be a fine idea an' Spinning Wheel, tis a good choice if there be one about that be knowin' it. I be too out o' breath te be pullin' it off. Have yerself a rest an' then ye can drag me ol' bones back to the decks.

Music rolls into Derry Hornpipe.... Whew....I be needin' a refillin' o' me tankard after this one, lass. Have no' carried on like this in a donkey's years. Fine gerl ye are to be blessed with merriment an' mirth in yer steps. Ye do me proud, fer true. Winks at M.W. with a warm smile.

Nods in approval to fiddler as "MacGinnerly's Reel" is struck up and Joins Mercenary Wench in the clearing. Pleasure is all me own, fer true lass. Shall we showin' 'em how it be done? Sly grin. Be gentle, lass...Chuckles. Not the young buck I used to be. Laughs at the notion then takes up proper position to start the dance. Don'na try this at home kiddies, ye may be hurtin' yerself....

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is great.....if you can find it.

Aye, ye be a lass after me own Irish heart. A jig it be an'na reel to be followin'. Winks. Red!....Needs be movin' some o' these tables out o' harms way! Once this t'in' gets started there be no controllin' where it bears. Sets down hat and tankard on nearby table, proffreing hand to Mercenary Wench with a slight bow. Strike up the fiddle!

Ducks, shielding tankard from airbourn tumbling out of control monkey that hits the deck just to the table's right. T'underin' Jaysu!!! Glances at dazed monkey then to the juggler. Damn yer eyes, man!!! Ye almost made me spill me drink an' that be a sin, fer true. Vacates table and moves to midship's port rail to lean. Red, that feller be dangerous, near took me head off with that flyin' primate. Overhears Mercenary Wench. Well now, lass.....I'll take ye up on yer offer fer dance partner. What be yer prefers? A waltz, mayhaps? Er was it somet'in' else ye had in yer noggin'? Yer choice, ye be the Birt'day Gerl.....An'na promise not to be steppin' on yer daint feet. Doffs hat with a wide sweep, grinning. Shall we then, lass?

Wanders on deck, chooses a table on the quarterdeck. Leaning chair back to be supported by aft cas'l wall, flags Red. Well done, aul feller! Tis a fine 'stablishment ye have, true as true is. Scans the legnth of the deck. An'na fine view it be.....in more ways than one. Sly grin. Some conch friters an'na fillin' o' Harp, if ye please. Thankee, me bully boy!........Bring on'na dancing gerls!

When I was in my early 20's I studied the Classic French Foil branch of fencing. A little rusty at it now, but can still hold my own. I carry a 42" OAL rapier on my baldric for Faires and a cutlass. I know my friend Tempest Fitzgerald has had training in Classic French Foil and Epee.

Ye find that 90% o' yer house decore carries a nautical theme and most o' that be o' pyrate flavor. When ye give directions, it always be in points o' the compass instead o' left, right, straight. You say, Millers when refering to rats. Terms like, "Kissin' the gunner's daughter" are jus' a part o' everyday conversation. Ye have a better knowledge o' rum than most Barkeeps.

I agree with the others fully. Bone Island is a wonderous place on many levels. If you are driving, watch the mailboxes as you meander A1A. Like most popular destination, rates for accomodations fluctuate according to the time of year and what is going on currently. If you are going by RV of with a travel trailer, I recomend staying on Fiesta Key, not a long drive from there to Key West proper. It's a KOA, the folks that run it are very friendly and accomodating. (And it's a helluva lot cheaper than lodgings on K.W.) There is a ton of history to explore and knowledge to be gained. Papa Hemingway had a house there and tours are available, the descendents of his polydactyl cats still roam the grounds. Audabon had a house there, also. I could go on for hours. Check into the day trip to the Dry Tortugas. As Jimmy says, "It's the end of the real world."

Good luck in your venture! I am sure that your friend will appreciate your gift and efforts. A word to the wise though, lass.......Make sure you get permission to reproduce material from the individuals involved. Some may be under copyright protection.

I checked my reference books and was unable to find the vessels that you are searching for. Most of what I have covers ships of the line and warships of different nations. I did come across the Falmouth, an East Indiaman built in 1752, but the build date appears to be later than what you are looking for. Being that Queen Elizabeth initially granted the charter in 1600 to the East India Company, it appears that the ships in question are at the very beginings of the venture. I will be happy to pass along the information I have on the Falmouth if you feel it will be of assistance. Bon chance!