the Royaliste

A capital ship for an ocean trip was the Walloping Window-blind- No gale that blew dismayed her crew or troubled the captain's mind. The man at the wheel was taught to feel contempt for the wildest blow, And it often appeared as the weather had cleared, that he'd been in his bunk below. The boatswain's mate was very sedate, yet fond of amusement too; And he played hops-scotch with the starboard watch, while the captain tickled the crew. And the gunner we had was apparently mad, for he sat on the after-rail, And fired salutes with the captain's boots,in the teeth of the booming gale. The captain sat in a commodore's hat and dined in a royal way, But the cook was Dutch, and behaved as such; for the food he gave the crew Was a number of tons of hot-crossed buns, chopped up with sugar and glue. And we all felt ill as mariners will, on a diet that's cheap and rude; And we shivered and shook as we dipped the cook in a tub of his gluesome food. The nautical pride we laid aside, and we cast the vessel ashore on the Gulliby Isles, where the Poohpooh smiles, and the Anagazanders roar. Composed of sand was that favored land, and trimmed with cinnamon straws; And pink and blue was the pleasing hue of the Tickletoeteasers claws. And we sat on the edge of a sandy ledge,and shot at the whistling bee; And the Binnacle-bats wore water-proof hats as they danced in the sounding sea. On a rubagub bark, from dawn to dark, we fed till we all had grown Uncommonly shrunk-when a Chinese junk came by from the torriby zone. She was stubby and square, but we didn't much care, and we cheerily put to sea; And we left the crew of the junk to chew on the bark of the rubagub tree. -'A Nautical Ballad', by Charles Edward Carryl Misplaced earlier, moved by request

:) "Oh, yea, I done forgot you two already met!!!....*Returns wink at Hellava, begins looking for the Monkey's Fist, muttering.......*Baaay-Beee!!"*

Atta Girl, Shipmate!!!!......all in the 'viewpoint!!

Shrugs, and goes back to swabbin' the deck from last nite's storm..(gloves?..In the great age of sail, only women wore gloves, not seamen, looks at hands, nods).......

Aye!, An old friend, but, 'tis not very bad, considering the initial reports I heard didn't mention the crew's outcome....Best for the future, Gary

...."Aye Zephyr, 'tis a joy that they kin keep it up whilst we sail!!...An', well,...good comeback on the 'Moonchild'!"..(looks for mouse ears to cover arse wif')............

Jeesh!...An' ye didn't even call me!!!...Glad it was a blast, any hooo!!!.............

The Pyrate looks West, then East...."Well, alla the 'targets are gone, off to Sacramento, then down stream to Lala land....Nuttin' to shoot but the fort, now!!!"...Looks south, judging elevation and windage......

"Ahoy and Avast!!...Just found a rather nice pair 'o black, button pirate breeches, so, check your ditty bags, folks"..............

:) "Prince Dakkar's ruff draft is back under Jolly Rogers or somewhere!..Already kinda been figured...RR's modified to look like sick, twisted Skull, with top flourish wrapping around to finish 'skull' look'...crossed cutlasses, etc...'Search', me pretties!!!!...RRRR, 'o course, they should 'match'!"............

'Still Blushing'... "Why, Thank ye, Cap'n!!"..

:) ..."Aye, Lassie, that I see!!!...Shoulder's 'll hafta do,( Goin' on me left one, soon) as, to sight the obvious, methinks Hellava will be the only one sportin' the Double RR's on the Arse!!!........'You know, ( DUH! ) eh? And, We don't need Saber a wavin' a cutlass up n' down the Mission, do we???".............

:) "Aye, 'Quill!!...and a certain Pyrette an' I 'ave been discussin' that very 'Kodak' moment, already!....My sleeve, her RR's (bun 'pun' intended!).....I'm sure 'ole 'Frisco Tattoo' will make an accord for a group rate..Afterall, they're just 'guidelines'!!.........

Aye, Maytee!...'Ere's a bit 'o the 'plundered' stash!..Fresh from the 'Interceptor' (R.I.P.)..........

All things bein' equal, 'twas still one great weekend and Sea Battle, an' wif' alla the fine company, well, It'd be hard to match again!..(Really need to update me website now!!!!....And again, Great photo's, women!!!........(still a wee bit shy 'bout me arse, but, oh, well, I kin always 'photoshop' the double RR's in!!!)..........

"Hmmm,".... 'Mutterin' somethin' 'bout fungal effects on wooden ships, and the symbiotic relationship with salt, not fresh, water'............

:) Alla their engines were RUNNIN'!...Jus' slow, an' fat!!!....RRRRR!!....

"Aw, 'tis alright !! Aye told 'em ta leave the load 'o firewood for me woodstove, an' take a train south!!!"...........

Still BLUSHING (Annette 'n Cubby, grrreat one!) "At'll teach 'em ta call Her a 'Bayliner'!!!"

I carry a brass head, replica sand cast early 1750's French Iroquois trade axe, as it matches me Ship well, not very heavy, seven inch head, hand carved and planed Ipe' hardwood haft.....mebbee 20 Yankee frogskins, tops..........

" RRRRR!!!!....(Bows to the Quartermaster), A RRRight fine job, there , me 'Quill!!!....All of you really captured truely great moments from a ' Hellava' day!!!!....( Looks at bottom prints, see's own arse, and), *BLUSHES*, 'Rollinonthefuggindecklaffinmefrigginarseoff!!......See you real soon,.... M-O-U-S-Eeeeeee!!!!!............

:) "Bloody Bloomin' 'eck, women!..A Dyn- a mite job so far!....Canna' wait fer the Battle!...(Really nice, Carrie!)"......Finest kind yet, shipmates!!!........

Ahoy and Avast, Privateer Pete!.... Welcome aboard 'ere in Cyberville, since ye've already been aboard for a real life adventure!....."Twas a pleasure, Mate, an' more out on the sea lanes ahead!..Lookin' forwr'd to the " Poison Quill's Quartermaster's account 'o the weekend!...RRRRRRoyaliste!!!"............

Were it not for sea-sickness, the whole world would be sailors. -Charles Darwin At sea I learned how little a person needs, not how much. -Robin Lee Graham

:) Groucho :)