Mission

This is just on of several comments about this question of who would have spectacles during period. I happened to be skimming through the link to the fascinating Museum of Vision provided by Grymm and I noticed this statement: "By 1700, the middle and lower classes were wearing spectacles mounted in various simple materials, while the upper classes favored more genteel hand held spectacles with frames of gold and silver."

I have no idea who that is and he never appears to have posted, but... SPOOOONNN!

That's fine except several folks above (particularly Iron John) have cited examples of rope in use being called 'rope'. (Besides, that book is over 125 years past GAoP.)

I used to have that problem with good dress shoes on marble tile. You might try what I did - scuffing the bottoms up with really rough sandpaper.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Bwa-HA ha ha ha ha ha! Hee hee hee! Oh, that's rich. Gotta' wipe a tear from my eye, here. (Sorry, Mae, but it IS funny after last year.)

Next month's article will be about doing period amputation. (I expect it will run at least 6 pages.) However, I bumped this up not to talk surgery, but to get it going again.

I think there is voodoo or magic or whatever-you-like in regard to health matters only so long as you believe in it. This is a tribute to the latent power of our own minds and the power of belief, not to some unearthly external force.

For a complete explanation of my 'weapons', follow this hotlink.

I just found this interesting. “About 5 Leagues above Jansan, we entred into a Canal cut thro’ a large plain of Cornfields, where we saw many large flat-bottom’d Boats built to breed Ducks, which they bring up for Sale, and to weed the Rice Grounds for Hire. They have three or four Stories over one another, where are the Ducks Nests. On the uppermost they sit and hatch Eggs. In the others they lodge all Night; and it is wonderful to see what Order and Oeconomy those Ducks keep; for some old Drakes (on the Winding of the Whistle) drive all the younger Novices into the Water, some going foremost to shew the Way, while others take Care that none loiter behind. There is a small Port made about a Foot high from the Water, and a Piece of Deal Board laid on it, whose other End lies in the Water on a gentle Descent, that serves them for a Bridge to go out, and come in at when they are out about Service. The Master goes in a small Boat among the Rice Grounds, (for that Grain always grows among Water) and winding his Whistle, they all follow his Boat, and hinder the Growth of the Corn. About Noon he winds his Whistle again, on which they all repair on Board of their own Vessel in good Order, some of the old Drakes bringing up the Rere, whilst other guard the Bridge, to take Care that no Stranger Ducks enter with their own Tribe; and when all are in, the old Guardians enter also and take their proper Posts. Sometimes when two or three of those Boats are employed in one Field, and their Ducks mingle, and some young Novices, which do not understand their proper Master’s Whistle, chance to come in Company to another Boat, and would enter with the rest, the old Guardian Drakes soon spy them out, and beat them __ away from the Bridge, and on no Account will they suffer them to enter, more than an established Company will admit Interlopers to enter into their Trade.” (Hamilton, p. 490-1)

Amazing that key lime pie goes back that far. I wouldn't have guessed it. There are so many curiously interesting stories like that in Key West. I sometimes wonder if it's not because there have been so many writers in Key West (thanks to all those government-backed efforts to attract artists in the island's past) that they had to find something interesting to write about. With a bit of romanticizing, the sorts of things that happen everywhere became neat little vignettes of history. That being said, a contest of Key Lime Pies made without baking would be really neat and a way to draw attention to this tidbit of history. You could sort of tie it to your wrecker's displays. The Traditional Wrecker's Key Lime Pie Contest or something like that.

No, it was meant as one of those reenactor-type humorous digs. I confess, we were having our troubles setting up a tent at the time. (You can read about that in the FTPI Surgeon's Journal) and I was not in the probably not in the jolliest of tempers for accepting such humorous digs, so it sticks in the mind's craw, if you know what I mean.

Well, I tend to post single shot quotes here, if for no other reason than I find them interesting or humorous. I think most historical details require second independent sourcing at the least, and I still tend to think that a third independent source is advisable if you want your point to be unassailable as I explained in this post. Having said that, my interest is more in the minutiae. What sort of problems did a ship's surgeon have to deal with? Were there pirates with artificial arms, legs and missing eyes? What did they eat? Did they set up a hospital tent when making landfall? What diseases did they catch? What happened during bad weather? How did they dispose of the dead? And so forth... Being details of a more personal nature, I take them to be more likely correct than historical points such as who took what ship where. Even if they aren't, they are another point in the graph of the narrative I am working on.

That was kind of my thinking. Occasionally we get listings of a seaman's effects around here. I wonder how many had swords among them? Interesting point! After reading it I thought it made so much sense from a tactical POV. Why send the whole crew? They'll end up getting in each other's way. How often we seem to want to forget that. (And Hollywood does its very best to help us. )

I don't think the whole thing was a story - I think it is based in fact. Hamilton witnessed parts of it and, despite the fact that he got a lot of the hearsay wrong, I don't think he just made stuff up. (You could conjecture that since he wrote his book several years after this happened he may have confused some parts but there I suspect there is a foundation of truth in it.) However, I think the voodoo stuff is nonsense. If a person were poisoned and didn't die within a day or two, it would seem to me that they would eventually recover as their system eliminated the poison. (Why are you rolling your eyes at me? That suggests I said something dumb.)

Ah. This seems to allow room to doubt this labeling rope as line business. Given that I was scolded for looking for 'rope' to set up a tent, I think I was well within my rights. Interesting that you have sounding lines and log lines. It does sound better than sounding rope and log rope.

Ah, a period use of the word 'Jack' to describe a seaman from Alexander Hamilton's A New Account of the East-Indies from 1727. (Not to mention an amusing story.): “[A] Mandereen [an esteemed official in Amoy - Xiamen, China] going in his Chair, with his usual Retinue, met a Sailor coming with a Keg of Arrack [a distilled alcoholic drink] under his Arm. Every Body went off the Street [as was the custom when encountering a mandereen] but the jolly Sailor, who had been tasting his Arrack, he was so mannerly as to walk aside, and give the Mandereen the Middle of the Street, but one of the Retinue gave the Sailor a Box on the Ear, and had almost shov’d him down Keg and all. The Sailor d—n’d him for a Son of a Whore, and askt what he meant by it, and at the same Time gave the Aggressor a Box on the Ear in Return. The poor Seaman was soon overpowered by the Retinue, but the Mandereen ordered to do him no Harm, till he had sent for the English Linguist, who forthwith came. The Mandereen told the Linguist what had happened, and bid him ask the Sailor why he gave him that Affront. The Sailor swore that the Mandereen had affronting him, in allowing his Servant to beat him, while he was aware by G—d that he would box the Mandereen, or every one of his Gang, for a Spanish Dollar, and with that put his Hand in his Pocket and pull’d a Dollar out. The Mandereen ordered the Linguist to tell him verbatim what the Sailor said, and why he pull’d his Money out. When the Linguist had told him all, the Mandereen was ready to fall off his Chair with laughing. And after he had composed himself, he asked if the Sailor would stand to his Challenge, who sware that he would. The Mandereen had one Tartar in his Retinue, famous for boxing, who had won many Prizes at it, and called for him to try his Skill on the Englishman. The Tartar was a lusty Man, and the Sailor short, but well set. The Tartar promised and easie Conquest, and to the Combat they went. The Tartars used to kick high at the Guts, and the first Time he kickt, the Sailor had him on his Back. The Tartar was much asham’d of the Foil he had received, and kicked at the Sailor again, but the Jack soon tripp’d up his Heels again. He desired then to have a fair Bout __ of Boxing without Tripping, which Jack agreed to, and batter’d the Tartar’s Face and Breast so with his Head, that he was forc’d to yield to old England. The Mandereen was so pleased with the Bravery and Dexterity of the Seamen, that he made him a Present of ten Tayels of Silver.” (Hamilton, p. 523-4)

This is rather interesting (if somewhat unbelievable and rather long) story that I saw summarized and reprinted in Eric Graham's book Seawolves: Pirates & the Scots. It involves pirate Walter Kennedy's wife and some sort of magical nonsense. So it's a good story, if nothing else: “I saw strange Cures performed by the Malaya Doctor at Malacca [in Malaysia]. One of them was on a Gentleman of my Acquaintance, who was second Supercargo of a Scots Ship called the Speed-well, which was lost near Malacca. After the Ship was lost, the first Supercargo took an House near the Town, by the Sea-side, to put their Cargo and Stores in it, that were saved, but eleven Chests of Treasure and some fine Goods were lodged in one of the Dutch Company’s Ware-houses in the Fort, which had three Locks on the Door. The Governor had one Key, and each of the Supercargoes one. A common Strumpet called Mrs Kennedy, who at that time was married to an Irish Pirate of that Name, and kept and Ordinary in Malacca, gave the first Supercargo a Philtre [love potion] that made him dote on her almost to Distraction. He was never easie out of her Company while awake, and in his Sleep he called her by Name. When she had got him so far in the Noose, she pretended she had great Need of Money, and would fain have borrowed a Chest of one thousand Pounds Sterling of the Scots Company’s Money. The bewitched Supercargo could deny her nothing she asked for, and promised that if he could bring his Second to consent, she should have it, but that Consent could be got on no Terms, tho’ the first proferred to be accountable to their Masters for that Sum, and he acquainting her with the Impossibility of getting that Consent, she contrived __ a Way to remove the Second by Poison, and going to a female Friend of hers, who was well acquainted with the Mystery of Poisoning, procured a dose so small that she could drop it in his Broth or Drink without his perceiving it, and accordingly she took an Opportunity to dine with them one Day when they had Broth at Table, and in serving the Broth about, she dropt it among his. The same Night it began to operate by Grippings [pain in the stomach or intestines] and Sweating, and he being bred a Surgeon, took some Medicines to correct the Grippings, which in some Measure the Medicine did, but he lost his Appetite, and his Excrements came from him as black as Ink. In the Interim a Ship came from Surat, bound to China, wherein the chief Supercargo was obliged to embarqe with the Company’s Stock, and lef the Second at Malacca, to take Care of what was left there. A few Days after the Surat Ship sailed, I arrived at Malacca, and found the second Supercargo in a deplorable condition. He finding all Medicines ineffectual, began to fear Poison, and sent for the Dutch Doctor of Physick to consult him, who, on Sight of his Excrements, told him plainly that he was poisoned, and advised him to send for a noted Malaya Doctor, who lived in a Place called Batantiga [Footnote 285: ‘Batu Tiga’ means ‘Third Mile’ and is a common way of expressing the names of small villages which have no other features.] about four Miles to the Northwest of Malacca, which he forthwith did, and when the Doctor came, he felt his Pulse, and immediately told that he was poisoned, and that if he could not tell what Poison he had taken, his Cure was very desperate and uncertain. I advised my Friend to let old Beelzebub (for he was a Man, or walking Shadow, of a dismal Aspect, near an hundred Years old) take him into his Care. My Friend took my Advice, and complimented the Doctor with five Japon Cupangs, or fifty Dutch Dollars. Old Esculapius laught when he received the Present, but he could not shew one Tooth, but promised his utmost Endeavours to cure him. He asked my Friend if he suspected any Body particularly, who might ow him a Grudge. He answered, none by Mrs Kennedy, or some of her Companions. The Doctor called for a Tea Cup, and some fresh Limes, which were brought to him. He turned all out of the __ Room but my self and his Patient, and cut some Limes, and squeezed their Juice into the Tea-cup till it was full. He then mutter’d some unintelligible Words, keeping his right Hand moving over the Cup for the Space of three or four Minutes, and finding his Conjuration was not satisfactory, he shak’d his old Head, and lookt dejected. He then mutter’d some other Words with an higher Voice keeping his Hand in Motion as before, and in two Minutes the Juice in the Cup seemed to boil as if a Fire had been under it. Then he began to smile. I had the Curiosity to put my Finger into the Juice, but it retained its ordinary Coldness. He then told his Patient that his Cure was certain, on which he had a Promise of five Cupangs more when the Cure was effected. He ordered the Patient to send a Servant to Mrs Kennedy’s Door, and watch between the Hours of Ten and Twleve, and to observe well if there was any unusual Noise in her House between those Hours, and so took his Leave with a contented Countenance. At Ten, my Friend sent a Servant according to Direction, and he and I sat discoursing about what we had observed in the Doctor’s Actions towards effecting the Cure. About Eleven the Spy came and told us that Mrs Kennedy had run stark mad, making an hideous Noise, and said, She had seen the Devil in the little House in the Garden, in a monstrous Shape and terrible Aspect. She soon after grew furiously mad, scratching and biting every Body she could come at, and so the Family was forced to threw on a Bed, and tie her down to it. In that Fit she continued till about eight in the Morning, that the old Conjurer came to Town, who, upon the Advice given him, went directly to visit her. Upon Sight of him she became calm and sensible. He ordered every Body out of the Room, and askt her what Poison she had given to his Patient. She was very loth to tell, and proferred him 500 Dollars to forsake his Patient, and let the Poison operate; but he honestly refused, and assured her that the same Devil that she saw in the Garden, should be her continual Companion all her Days, and would often make her feel the Effects of his Power, if she did not instantly declare what the Poison was, and from whom she had it. She seeing no other Remedy, confest where she had the Poison, but could not tell what it was. The Doctor sent for the __ old Schoolmistress of Wickedness, and when she came, he threatned to torment her also, by his humble Servant the Devil, if she did not forthwith declare what Poison had been given, which she did, and he took away Mrs Kennedy’s Companion the Devil, and the Patient was well enough in eight or ten Days, to follow his Affairs, but Mrs Kennedy lookt ever after disturb’d, as if continually frightned.” (Hamilton, p. 383-6)

I was just wondering about the commonality of swords, given that a pirate's goal was intimidation rather than battle - especially close quarters combat. (This doesn't really answer that completely, but it makes several good points.) (And I would like to add that fids would make excellent bite sticks for sailors confronted with pre-anesthesia surgery.)

I believe Ed is taking a short break from the forum. I would trust something from a book over things thrown around on this forum in early days. I've read a lot of the older posts and there was a bit less scholarly talk than there is now. Of course, this is back when there were only a couple of forums - Twill may not have even existed then. Thanks for the reference, John. BTW, if you're ever looking for symbols, you can use the character map or charmap. Here are the instructions. Then you just pick the symbol out and it copies it into your memory: £. Excellent. Thank you. I want to read it cover-to-cover, though. I find I tend to sometimes notice things others don't and it gives us something to natter on about in the forums.

Thank you, gents.

I may be showing my ignorance here, but I wonder where that story is from? (I confess I haven't read the General History in over 20 years. I really need to set down and read it again, looking for medical references.)

OK, I was scolded at FTPI last year for calling rope 'rope' and not 'line.' Now I find this in Alexander Hamilton's A New Account of the East Indies (17th - 18th Centuries): "...every Thing in the Ship fast, our Yards lowered as low as conveniently they could be, and our Sails made fast with Coils of small Ropes, besides their usual furling Lines." (Hamilton, p. 485) I take it rope may have been called 'line' when it was attached to the masts and sails (or It may not have been. In fact, I have no idea.) However, he also calls the stuff rope in the same sentence. So I am thinking I was wronged at FTPI, when looking for what was small coils of whatever-you-want-to-call-it. Like Foxe said in another thread, "They were not so concerned with giving things specific labels as we are now..." Second, I have a question about a term in this same passage. Hamilton says, "...we had five Foot Water in the Ship, and no Possibility of getting it out by pumping, for our Main-mast breaking in the Parteners of the Upper Deck, disabled both our Pumps." What is a Partener? Note that it may be incorrectly spelled, so if there is something similar it could well be that.

“The Women [in Pegu – a District of Myanmar] are much whiter than the Men, and have generally pretty plump Faces, but of small Stature, yet very well shap’d their Hands and Feet small, and their Arms and Legs well proportioned. Their Headdress is their own black Hair tied up behind, and when they go abroad, they wear a Shaul folded up, or a Piece of White Cotton Cloth lying loose on the Top of their Heads. Their bodily Garb is a Frock of Cotton Cloth or Silk, made meeting for their Bodies, and the Arms of their Frock stretcht close on the Arm, the lower Part of the Frock reaching Half-thigh down. Under the Frock they have a Scarf of Lungee [long piece of cotton cloth] doubled fourfold, made fast about their Middle, which reaches almost to the Ancle, so contrived, that at every Stop they make, as they walk, it opens before, and shews the right Leg and Part of the Thigh. This Fashion of Petticoats, they say, is very ancient, and was first contrived by a certain Queen of that Country, who was grieved to see the Men so much addicted to Sodomy, that they neglected the pretty Ladies. She thought that by the Sight of a pretty Leg and plumb Thigh, the Men might be allured from that abominable Custom, and place their Affections on proper Objects, and according to the ingenious Queen’s Conjecture, that Dress of the Lungee had its desired End, and now the Name of Sodomy is hardly known in that Country. The Women are very courteous and kind to Strangers, and are very fond of marrying with Europeans, and most Part of the Strangers who trade thither, marry a Wife for the Term they stay. The Ceremony is, (after the Parties are agreed) for the Bride’s Parents or nearest Friends or Relations, to make a Feast, the Parent or Brideman, asketh them both before the Company, if they are content to cohabit together __ as Man and Wife, and both declaring their Consent, they are declared by the Person or Friend to be lawfully married, and if the Bridegroom has an House, he carries her thither, but if not, they have a Bed provided in the House where they are married, and are left to their own Discretion how to pass away the Night. They prove obedient and obliging Wives, and take the Management of Affairs within Doors wholly in their own Hands. She goes to Market for Food, and acts the Cook in dressing his Victuals, takes Care of his Clothes, in washing and mending them; if their Husbands have any Goods to sell, they set up a Shop and sell them by Retail, to a much better Account then they could be sold for by Wholesale, and some of them carry a Cargo of Goods to the inland Towns, and barter for Goods proper for the foreign Markets that their Husbands are bound to, and generally bring fair Accounts of their Negotiations. If she proves false to her Husband’s Bed, and on fair Proof convicted, her Husband may carry her to the Rounday [Court], and have her Hair cut, and sold for a Slave, and he may have the Money but if the Husband goes astray, she’ll be apt to give him a gentle Dose [of poison], to send him to the other World a Sacrifice to her Resentment. If she proves prolifick, the Children cannot be carried out of the Kingdom without the King’s Permission, but that may be purchased for 40 or 50 L. Sterl. and if an irreconcilable Quarrel happen where there are Children, the Father is obliged to take Care of the Boys, and the Mother of the Girls. If a Husband is content to continue the Marriage, whilst he goes to foreign Countries about his Affairs, he must leave some Fund to pay her about six Shillings eight Pence per Month, otherwise at the Year’s End she may marry again, but if that Sum is paid her on his Account, she is obliged to stay the Term of three Years, and she is never the worse, but rather the better lookt on, that she has been married to several European Husbands.” (Hamilton, p. 359-60)

You just can't make stuff this good up... “The People about Ballasore [baleshwar] have one particular Custom that I never heard of in any other Country, viz. they take a Piece of soft Clay, and make it in the Form of a large Suppository, and they harden it in the Sun, till it comes to the Consistence of soft Wax, and, when they think it fit for Use, they put it into the right Intestine, Immediately after Exoneration. This, they alledge, keeps them cool, tho’, after it has been in Use a Day and a Night, it becomes hard, but every Morning they have a new one ready for Use. There is a Report current among the English in India, that the old East-india company desired one Captain Goodlad, who was going in their Service Commander of a Ship to Bengal, that he would bring them Home some Indian Rarity that had never been seen in England before. And being lodged in the Factory at Ballasore, looking out his Window one Morning, he saw some of the People making Use of their Suppositories, and leaving the old hard bak’d ones behind them. [Ha ha.] He immediately bethought himself of the Commission he had from his Masters, and judged that they might be Rarities never seen in Europe before, and ordered a small keg to be filled with them. When he brought them to England, they __ proved to be such as they had never seen. Some Gentleman, more curious than the rest, scrapt some of them to try the Taste, but they still continued in the Dark, till the comical Captain gave them an Account of their Use and Virtue. [Footnote 228: Between 1667 and 1687, there were five Goodlads commanding Company ships. This humorist may have been William Goodlad who was at Barsalore in 1672.]” (Hamilton, p. 322)

As annoying as this Error Message is - it's important to mention them. Though right now I'm prone to write it off as an annoying but simple hiccup – I suspect it’s a momentary lapse syncing authorization keys. . .or we could blame it on Mission just because. Yes, I have wide shoulders. I suspected a momentary hiccup as well, which is why I never mentioned it when it happened to me.