Mission

I did find period evidence for careening in Johnson as quoted in the first post. Mea culpa. South Carolina is where I read that the trial took place, so that's where I got that from.

Thanks! I appreciate all the research and information. Thanks particularly for the book reference. I am interested in finding out more about the corsairs. They often tend to get lumped in with the buccaneers because they were active around the same time. I am actually not working on anything related to this topic right now, although I am collecting info on sailors and promiscuity in order to write something about vices during the period (smoking, drinking and this) as they relate to health. I came across it on Wiki while looking for info on Tortuga and it was one of those wonderful stories that I wanted to find period proof for before mindlessly repeating another pirate canard. Plus I am always looking for interesting new topics to post on the pub.

I'm reading the book Daily Life of Pirates by David F. Marley and I came across this statement: "Captain Stede Bonnet's boatswain Ignatius Pell, for instance, confessed to the South Carolina authorities in 1718 that the crew of the pirate sloop Revenge had chosen to linger for a month and a half in the Cape Fear River estuary, because they had wished to wait out the hurricane season before returning toward Saint Thomas in the distant Virgin Islands." (Marley, p. 79) This makes perfectly good sense, although Marley doesn't cite the source where he found that pearl of knowledge. It has been repeated on several websites including a blog where the author quotes one part of Pell's testimony which contains nothing whatsoever to back this idea up! (Of course, the blogger indicates he quoted Pell's entire testimony, so he clearly didn't read the entire transcript of the trial.) So I found the transcript of the trial - all 70 pages of it - and read it. I found nothing whatsoever to back this up. Pell testified multiple times, but he never mentioned the reason they were holed up at Cape Fear. I thought maybe it came from the General History, but all it has to say on the matter is (1st edition), "The last Day of July, our Rovers with the Vessels last taken, left Delaware Bay, and sailed to Cape Fear River, where they staid too long for their Safety, for the Pyrate Sloop which they now new named the Royal James, proved very leaky, so that __ they were obliged to remain here almost two Months, to refit and repair their Vessel: They took in this River a small Shallop, which they ripped up to mend the Sloop, and retarded the further Prosecution of their Voyage, as before mentioned, till the News came to Carolina, of a Pyrate Sloop's being there to carreen with her Prizes." (Johnson, 1st ed., pl 96-7) Does anyone know where the idea that Bonnet was hanging out in South Carolina to wait out the hurricane season came from? Is there another document where Pell was conversing with the South Carolina authorities?

So, I came across this on Wikipedia while researching Tortuga (which I believe is pretty well common knowledge in Buccaneering circles): "In 1645, in an attempt to bring harmony and control over the island, the acting French governor imported roughly 1,650 prostitutes, hoping to normalize the unruly pirates' lives." That got me curious where this 'fact' came from, so started looking around on Google and found sources claiming the Governor Jean Le Vasseur brought anywhere from a 100 to hundreds to this upper number of 1650 women. Some accounts claim they were swept off the streets of Paris with enticements to move to the New World, others hinted they were women tricked into going, while most just didn't say where they came from. Some accounts claim that the importation had nothing to do with gentrifying the buccaneers, but was an effort to stamp out homosexuality. (This sounds suspiciously like Professor Burg's inane theorizing.) Probably the most palatable web-based explanation I found comes from a blog called Pirates of the Caribbean: The History Behind the Legends: "He [Le Vasseur] wrote back to France and offered to take ‘undesirable ladies’ if the French prison system wished to empty their dungeons of female prostitutes, thieves and petty criminals. LeVasseur hoped with the arrival of women that the Buccaneers might be enticed to settle down to a more manageable life of planting and family. A few did, but most men held to the fast life of stealing from the Spanish." Except, once again, no references. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth, no matter how palatable it is. Le Transport des Filles de Joye a l'Hopital by C. La Vasseur (1780) (No, not entirely relevant. I just found it in my search.) The closest thing I found to period commenting on this (with a reference, although one I can't find/read) agrees with none of these 'facts'. it is from an article called "The Horrors of San Domingo" in the September 1862 Atlantic Monthly, "In 1667 there was an auction-sale of fifty girls without character at Tortuga. They went off so well that fifty more were soon supplied. [Victor] Schoelcher says that in the twelfth volume of the "Archives de la Marine" there is a note of "one hundred nymphs for the Antilles and a hundred more for San Domingo," under the date of 1685." So is that the source? If not, does anyone know where this alleged fact come from?

Thank you! I'm just sorry it took so long to finish.

Who knew pork would be such a watershed topic? In support of Jen's comment, let me quote some more of Tryon: "Also, all Swine ought to be killed in cold weather; and after it is well salted, it ought to be rusted [meaning smoked?] a convenient time with the smoke of Wood-fire or Straw, which will make it look of a brisk lively Red Colour, which does much correct that gross Quality that is contain'd in their Flesh: And altho' Swine naturally are the uncleanest of all Creatures that are so much eaten, nevertheless if they be fed with Corn, and are sing'd and kill'd in the properest Season then well Salted, and rusted a considerable time, they are made thereby a firmer and wholsomer food than several other sorts of clean Flesh that is kill'd in hot seasons, and __ eaten fresh; and many People in Summer time had better eat Bacon that is kill'd in Winter and well order'd, than to eat fresh Meat, especially those that live in Cities, by reason most Cattle receive prejudice by long driving, and other accidents. But small Bacon, or Pork kill'd in Summer, or in a hot season is of ill consequence to Health; for then the fat is so gross and full of phlegmy matter, that it will not take salt is as it ought; besides, it obstructs Nature, and causeth Fluxes, and an internal Fever: Those that accustom themselves to the frequent eating of Bacon, it does generate a gross strong Nourishment, and dull and heavy Spirits; therefore such People are not so brisk and airy, but duller of Apprehension than others that eat more airy and thinner food; for every sort of Food does by simpathetical Operation strengthen and awaken its Likeness..." (Tryon, p. 67-8)

I meant the source book containing the quote. (I generally avoid modern books without reference notes because if something in them interests me, I want to be able to read their sources if I can track them down. I try to return the favor by citing everything I use in situ.)

You should write something about food during this time period. I'm really enjoying your insight into the topic. In fact, I'd say what you've written so far is an improvement on Marly's work. (And you would probably cite your sources better than he did.) I am planning to give diet a section in my work, but I only have food notes from sea-going accounts and don't have the breadth of understanding of the topic that you've given us already.

No, you don't need to do all that. I was just wondering what the source of the quote was as it sounds like something that would be worth a read.

Actually, being a vegetarian myself, I agree with your statement somewhat. Cooking meet can occasionally smell nauseating to me for some reason. However, this is not usual. Most of the time it smells pretty good. (I have no idea why that is.) Then again, lately the smell of ripe black olives (even 'natural' ones) has bothered me ...and I used to love them. So who can say precisely why something smells good or bad to you? I DO wonder how anyone but the purest of purists could dislike the smell of cooking bacon.

Based on some discussions with someone at Crossbones about medical details, I don't think history is truly their major concern. But POTC4 sort of set the recent modern stage for taking Blackbeard out of the historic realm and bringing him into the fantastic one.

Interesting! I don't doubt pork was popular, although it's funny that the only sourced comment in that first quote was the one by Lyttleton which seemed to be dismissing pork as food for farmers. As for the medical quote, I just threw it in there without any salient reference to the first quote. To be honest, I just started writing about pork and remembered that I had posted that quote from Facebook for fun and thought I'd put is somewhere where I could find it again if I wanted it. But since I'm rambling on about medical opinions, I have another book (The Way to Health, Long Life and Happiness by Thomas Tryon) which says, "The Uncleanness of this Creature [the pig] does further appear, if you burn their Fat, it does send forth a gross fulsome smell; also its flame is not clear and bright, as the Flame of other Flesh, but of a dimmish Brimstone colour, which does arise from the dark Poysons in nature, as is further manifest in Charcoal, and also in Brandy, and other distill'd Liquors, when the sweet Oyl, or Balsamick Body with the pure subtle Spirits, are by any violence suffocated and destroy'd, then the dark original Forms of Nature appear; __ such things, being burn'd the Flame is not bright and clear, but of a duskish dim and Brimstone colour, as I have particularly shewn in another place, where I treat of the nature of Brandy. But in England the Flesh of Swine is of great use, but not wholsom to be eaten fresh, especially in August, September or October, not indeed in any hot Season; this Flesh, where it is frequently eaten, does generate a gross Nourishment; but the way that English People use for ordering it, makes it much better than otherwise it would be. That Bacon and Pork which is fed with Corn and Acorns, and have their liberty to run, is much sweeter and wholsomer, easier of digestion and breeds better blood [in the body - in simple terms, food was thought to turn into chyle which was then turned to blood] than that which is shut up in the Hog-sties [Look! Promotion of free range pork in 1697!] such Bacon for want of Motion, becomes of a more gross phlegmatick Nature, insomuch that the House-wife is put to all her shifts to make it take Salt; for where in any thing the Phlegm does predominate, the pure Spirits are weak, and as it were, fainty and dull; and when this doth happen in Flesh, as often it does, such flesh will not take Salt, but by halves; where the Spirit is weak, the Salt cannot penetrate nor incorporate; for Salt cannot make the dead body living; but such Bacon as is fed with Corn, and not over fat, especially if they have egress and regress, such will take Salt greedily, because it is lively, brisk and full of spirits, which are a pleasant habitation for the spirit of the Salt to incorporate its self: This sort is to be preferr'd before all the others." (Tryon, p. 66-7) He goes on (and on and on) in similar vein for another page and a half. He wrote a couple of books like this one and although he refers to himself as a "Student in Physick", he doesn't seem to have had any actual medical training. Wiki says of him, "In 1657 he heard an inner voice, which he named the "Voice of Wisdom", encouraging him to become a vegetarian and to live on a frugal diet." The whole thing sort of reminds me of a lot of the holistic stuff you read today. As you say, this does NOT appear to have been the common opinion or even a particular concern of the hoi polloi.

I'm reading a book called Daily Life of Pirates by David F. Marley. So far I don't see where it adds a lot of 'new' info to the topic, but the author does a nice job of sifting and organizing and draws some interesting conclusions at times. (I wish he supported some of them with period references a little better, but it is an engaging book nonetheless.) He has a whole chapter on food which focuses primarily on meat (particularly as it relates to the buccaneers) and I thought you all might find this interesting. "Like wild cattle, the earliest boucaniers had also hunted wild pigs on French Hispaniola, and pork was to remain a favorite meat among Antilliean residents and visitors alike, despite being somewhat less abundant than turtle or beef. Sir Charles Lyttleton, deputy governor of Jamaica referred to it in an October 1663 report to London as 'the planters food,' but demand would so far outstrip supply throughout the islands that it soon had to be imported in large quantities from North America and Ireland, preserved with salt." (Marley, p. 47) I wonder just how hard pork was to come by? Curiously, in The Seaman's Preservation by Dr. John Wilkinson, he says: "The less pork is eaten, the better; it ought to be prohibited in hot climates and seasons, or else to be eaten with good plenty of vinegar.* *Sanctorius observes, (Sect. ii. observ. 5.) that pork retards perspiration. the hog is remarkable for filthiness, and feeding upon all kinds of ordure [excrement], even carrion [decaying flesh] if it lied in his way: it is the only animal in the brute creation, subject to __ scrofulous diseases [tuberculosis] and the leprosy, and also something very like what we call the king's evil, which in Latin is termed scrofula from scrofa a sow: this disease in Greek is named [something in Greek] from [something else in Greek] a hog: it is also subject to the measles, a noisome disease, and contagious, in so much that it past into a proverb, as we learn from Jubenal, who calls it porrigo [actually, this is a disease of the scalp]. The putrescent quality of its flesh, and the uncleanliness of the beast, shew that its prohibition as food amongst the scrofulous Jews, was rather a physical than a divine institution." (Wilkinson, p. 79-80)

Since he quoted it, did Zacks give the source for that, Greg?

Foxe brought up an instance cited Barlow on Facebook about crossing the line, so I looked it up and reported it there. I thought it'd be nice to have it here as well because posts here are searchable, unlike Facebook. "And steering our course southerly, in the beginning of May we crossed the Equinoctial Line, every man who had not been so far before paying his bottle of strong waters as a forfeit, it being merrily drunk out by all the rest that had been there before, an old custom amongst seamen." (Barlow, p. 181)

This has finally been formed into a web page. It basically follows the above narrative with a bunch of additions and photos. If you're interested, check it out via this link: http://www.piratesurgeon.com/pages/ftpi13/ftpi13_pro.html

Yes, please do post some pics of your work!

What is that, Foxe? The Bib from you doctoral thesis?

I don't think it's quite that simple. Opinions about how good a book is vary widely based on the reader. Even authors vary as far as quality of writing goes. For example, Jan Rogozinski has written some good books on piracy and some not-so-good books. Your best bet is to look at the purpose of the book and the bibliography, footnotes and endnotes if you can. When starting a new topic, I try to pick what seems to be a good book on a topic and read that. If it as good as I had hoped, I then start tracking down that book's sources.

David Fictum, who posts here as Brit.Privateer and is quite well read on the topic has posted a list of nine books he likes with descriptions of what he considers good about them. Several of the books mentioned already are on his list. You will find his list here. Oh, and you should really read the General History of the Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson (mis-attributed to Daniel Defoe). The best version to get (as far as content and affordability) is probably the one edited by Manuel Schornhorn. Read it with a grain of salt, though. There are several things in there that are not factual. I'm told Schornhorn's edition points these things out pretty well.

For general info, I suggest Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly. For a summary of pirate tactics and an interesting look at odd details, check out Benerson Little's The Sea Rover's Practice. There are a ton of other books out there (some good, some bad, most mediocre), but those are the two I'd start with. Where you go from there sort of depends on what you're interested in. My general guiding principle is to read books with lots of text excerpted from period material and with copious amounts of foot/end notes. As a general rule, avoid anything where the author is trying to make a case for something new and/or unusual in relation to pirates. ("So and so was not really guilty of piracy," "the pirates were the first socialistic society", "many pirates were ___ (pick some hot-button current issue: gay, female, civil rights-oriented)."

OK, I am going to jump in because I see a lot of elements in there that agree with my initial ideas First, absolutely it's the people who are there. Most pirate folks are wonderful to play/work with and they're the reason I return again and again to certain events. While (like anyone) I like to see certain people who share my sensibilities and sense of humor, even that isn't necessary if it's the right general crowd. In fact, in the broader sense, I prefer an eclectic mix. Not all PC, not all fantasy but a bit of both and tolerance by the event for the same. Second, open water and boats. They don't even have to be big boats. A lot folks have little boats to bring to events and I have just as much fun in them as I do with two masted sloops. Third, a place for after hours carousing. Yeah, we're there for the public and so on and so forth, but I'm also on vacation and I'm there to have fun and enjoy the company when the shop is closed. Campsite-based activities can also be fun, but I like the opportunity to explore both camp and local street fare. Fourth (and this may just be me), decent hotels that are not too far away.

An event organizer was recently asking questions on Facebook related to what was needed to encourage reenactors to come to an event. This got me to thinking about the question I posted in the topic: What are the elements of a good event for you? I am thinking of three or four things that make YOU want to return to a pirate reenactment. I have some ideas, but I don't want to start this conversation off by guiding it in a particular direction, so the floor is open. (I am not looking for a laundry list here, just a couple of things that stand out in your mind that cause you to return to particular events year after year.)

Why would they vote on a merchant or naval ship? The standing of the men on those ships was entirely different - the men were being paid to be there. (Even the pressed men.) Do you get to vote on work affairs at your job? I'm more interested in the 10 sets of articles. I know of four. What are the other six, Ed?

Ha ha. Thanks Jim! I can use those in the Journal. I only touched upon the belaying pin (so to speak) in my account here, but there are SO MANY photos of this part of the auction that I realized I had better bolster that part.