Red Sea Trade

I often start with a recruitment pitch, trying to entice them to sign aboard my ship. Plunder! Rum! Adventure! Then, once I have an eager crew, I like to bring out some interesting visual aids-- preferably a hunk of rock-hard ship's bread and a piece of either salt cod or salt pork, perhaps with some dried whole peas on the side for color. Then I spin colorful yarns about the delicious, healthy fare to be had aboard ship. Yes, nothing better than a piece of slightly green codfish on a hot, tropic night...

Well, my mother was from Muskogee, does that count? Actually, my mother was more to be feared than any pirate. She had hands like country hams, was a dead shot and subsisted entirely on a diet of gin, black coffee and Lucky Strikes.

One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier reply-- try to find a local angle. Not every neighborhood had a local pirate, but it helps if you can tie it in to places the kids know. I was fortunate enough to work down the street from Captain Kidd's house in New York. That got kids' attention! Now, considerably further south, I can tell them about Sir Francis Drake and Captain Searles. It really shocks kids to know that, not only were pirates real, but they lived and worked right where the kids are today.

I always send a written description of exactly what I will be bringing and ask for prior approval. I inform the teacher and administrators that, if they insist, I can do the program without any weapons. I also have one piece, a doglock, which never had a flash hole drilled, so it is not legally a weapon. I also bring a wooden "flint", just in case people are truly paranoid. Amazingly, even in New York State, I have never had a school turn me away.

I just did a program like this for a group of 5th and 6th graders. This being Florida, and our most famous local pirate interaction being Searles' Raid of the 1660's, I was dressed as a sailor of that period. I started by asking them to tell me all the things that they would expect a pirate to wear. I got all the usual, then asked them to imagine the following-- A man walks toward you with a peg leg, hook instead of a hand and an eye patch. What does he do for a living? They all answered, of course, "He's a pirate!" "No", I replied. "He might be an EX-pirate, but he wouldn't be any use at all missing a hand, a leg and an eye. Whatever he does for a living now, it isn't piracy." I then addressed my own (very, very unromantic) garb. I explained that I was dressed as a typical English sailor of the era. I then said "Want to see me change into being a pirate?" They all vigorously assented. I picked up my doglock. "There, now I'm a pirate." They groaned with disappointment. I made a simple analogy-- Do present day criminals walk around during their daily life wearing cartoon-style black "robber" masks and carrying huge sacks with dollar signs drawn on them? If not, why not? That got them thinking, at least a little. I brought plenty of cool stuff, muskets and swords and grenades, so they overcame their earlier disappointment. I guess that what I'm saying is that I like to get the Hollywood version out of the way quickly and completely, then start building from there.

As an act of penance, I sentence you to kill three Spaniards, loot a convent and burn a small seaside village.

The "Oxford Companion of Food" lists pancakes as being mentioned in English cookbooks as early as 1430, so they are certainly period-correct. I suppose they should be topped with something period-- perhaps some sugar and lemon juice (a British thing) or perhaps molasses.

One of my favorite period recipes is Indian Pudding. Delicious, simple, filling and totally correct. Best of all, it can be made in advance then gently reheated at the event. Add a splash of fresh cream and serve. Ah, bliss... 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal 3 cups milk, heated to just below a boil 1/2 cup molasses 1 egg, beaten 1 cup raisins 1/4 tsp. ginger 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup darkest possible rum 1 cup cold milk Heat the milk. Stir in molasses, then stir in cornmeal. Let sit 5 minutes. Add egg, spices, sugar, rum and raisins. Pour into buttered baking dish. Place in 300 degree oven for 10 minutes. Pour cold milk on top, then bake for 2 hours. Serve hot or cold with fresh cream.

Ah, at last, the Great Unmentionable has been mentioned! I blame Hollywood in large part for the trend that I call TMPIFC, "Thoroughly Modern People In Funny Clothes". This is the notion that you can stick someone like Cameron Diaz in a Baroque gown and she will make a convincing lady of that era. No, she is just a cute Valley Girl in a flouncy dress. Too many reenactors fall into the same category, alas. I was advising a theatrical production a couple of years ago on 18th century carriage and deportment. I told them a simple rule to remember: If, while fully dressed in period garb, your usual posture and deportment still feels comfortable, you are doing something wrong. I am a typical, portly, middle-aged American man. I cannot put on a neck stock, button up my waistcoat, secure my breeches at the proper height and still assume my usual casual slouch. It just hurts too much. This, to bring the conversation back to where it should be, goes doubly for the ladies. My wife is an opera singer by training, and enjoys dressing in period garb for events. She says that proper boning not only reminds her to carry herself properly, but also "gets her in position" to sing, should that be required.

Here are a couple of closer views of womens' hats, both from Hogarth. http://www.berksfhs.org.uk/journal/Dec2003...ess_500x439.jpg http://www.peterwestern.f9.co.uk/hogarth/hogarth32.jpg Broad and floppy seem to be the key features. I know that my fine wife, who is as pale as a dish of cream, wears the biggest, broadest, lightest-colored straw hat she can decently get away with. No decoration but a colored ribbon, but she likes to keep it simple. After about 1750 it became stylish to cock up the rear of the hat. It looks pretty snappy, but--alas--too late for our era.

Here's a great resource, an 18th century engraving of English street vendors. Lots of good visual information on lower class dress. http://www.jasa.net.au/images/streetvendors.gif The women appear to be wearing broad-brimmed, low-crowned hats (either straw or felt) almost certainly worn over caps. You will see the same sort of hat in engravings by William Hogarth. It is a logical style for women who spend lots of time out of doors-- light, comfortable and good shelter from the weather. No sun-burned, peeling noses for me!

I can't speak to the particulars of ladies' garb, but one thing I would say is this: Wear a hat. "But I'm a wench" Be a wench in a hat. "But I'm a pirate wench" Wear a hat. "But I'm a wild, untamed, hellcat, crazy, savage pirate wench." Great. Be one in a hat. Hollywood has given us decades of 17th and 18th century ladies running about with flowing, untamed hair and uncovered heads. They had a name for people like that in the tropical sun. They called them "dead". Wear a hat. That goes for men, too. --Andrew Batten, who does everything but shower in his hat.

I think you are doing a good job with this-- balancing a desire for accuracy with common sense and fair play. I also agree with the idea of fighting those battles that really make a difference and not fighting those that are, at this point, hopeless or counter-productive (thinking of cotton clothes, particularly). I would suggest the following: List clear guidelines and suggestions. Point out what is flexible (use of cotton garments, bucket boots) and what is not (vinyl boots, pleather hats, wildly out of period weapons, etc.). Make a list of absolutely banned items, but offer suggestions for reasonable alternatives. Then, if possible, offer as many clear, correct period illustrations to give people an idea of what look you are shooting for. This is an area where many authentic events fall down on the job. They tell you what is permitted and what is forbidden, but any newcomer will be stumped as to what it should all look like. Sorry I cannot make it to PiP this year, but my wife and I will be in St. Augustine, entertaining the troops that weekend. Best of luck.

Heck, all I ask for is consistency! After going to a 16th century event in a frock coat, 1770 French infantry sword and tricorn hat, one should then attend a World War 2 reenactment in the same attire. You would only miss the date by the same margin!

Yes, thank you, Kass, for attempting to right a gross historical wrong. It has always confused me that people who probably know better (or should) attend 16th century events wearing 18th century clothing. It is as appropriate as wearing an Apollo space suit to a War of 1812 reenactment. "Hey, I'm only off by a couple of centuries!" Now all I have to do is save up enough for an Elizabethan matchlock, then I can get started on the garb...

For a refreshing, and period appropriate, libation, it is hard to beat Fish House Punch, known to date to at least 1732: Dissolve 3/4 pound sugar in just enough water to make a simple syrup(best done over low heat in a saucepan). Allow to cool. To sugar syrup add 1 quart lemon juice, 2 quarts rum, 1 quart cognac, 2 quarts water and a pint of peach brandy. This makes LOTS of punch, and can be adjusted as needed. Serve over ice, repeat as necessary.

I think that they were probably interested in doing both, because they were really the same thing. They wanted to demonstrate their wealth by being like the upper classes. They could not buy breeding or stature, but they could accumulate wealth and try to resemble their social superiors. I am sure that, when Blackbeard went to bribe...uh, I mean visit...Governor Eden, he was probably dressed in his best estimation of what a properous gentleman would wear. He probably drank his tea with his pinkie extended and said please and thank you, then went back to his ship for some opium and a whore. Sort of like politicians today.

Some interesting ruminations have come out of this. Still, I think that we must be extremely cautious about reading our own thoughts, wants and preferences backwards in time. One poster asked "Do you think pirates dressed for dinner?" My answer would be "Almost certainly...on rare occasions." The two things to remember are these-- until very, VERY recently, people aspired upwards in their dress, their desires and their attitudes. Modern westerners are about the only people I can find in all of history who aspire downwards-- billionaires in bluejeans and wealthy, coddled suburban kids dressing like ghetto gang members. Yes, previous generations sometimes enjoyed "slumming", but that was the exclusive domain of a wealthy few. The lower and middle classes were more inclined to "ape their betters" in dress and deportment. Not any longer. Secondly, many "primitive" cultures have highly evolved rules of conduct and etiquette. The Pathans of Afghanistan are extraordinarily cruel in their conduct (they would make 18th century pirates squeal like debutantes), yet they have extremely complex and unshakable rules of hospitality and proper conduct. If one knew the rules, I would suspect that you would be significantly safer in 19th century Kandahar or 17th century Port Royal than in South Central Los Angeles on a hot Saturday night. One difference--but not an insignificant one--is an accepted standard of behavior.

One facet of the past, especially that before the mid-18th century, that is too often neglected is the almost complete absence of privacy. That has to have an impact on how people conducted themselves. Examples-- Benjamin Franklin was one of 16 children, all of them conceived, born and raised in a two room dwelling. Archaeologists point out that, prior to the early 18th century, there was no such thing as an individual serving in America. Large cuts of meat were prepared and served to groups. Most American dwellings (and many of those in Europe) were little more than one room. Extended families worked, ate, slept, lived and died in a space that would barely qualify as a summer cottage today. All of this is to demonstrate my major point-- etiquette would have been ESSENTIAL in a setting like that. We like to think that everyone in the past was a rugged individualist, but that wouldn't work. People had to function smoothly as a part of the larger group, be it a family, a town, a regiment or a ship's crew. A modern example: I was in the grocery store today. A sudden altercation broke out just ahead of me, with two elderly men shouting curses and threats at each other. The cause? One accused the other of cutting in front of him to sample a new brand of cheese puff. Had this happened two hundred years ago, with both men heavily armed, what might have transpired? Murder? Over a cheesepuff? Perhaps, but I doubt it. I believe that, having lived all their lives in a close-packed, communal setting, two men of the GAoP would have realized that it wasn't worth the bother. I can only agree with Robert Heinlein, who said (and I paraphrase) "An armed society is a polite society."

I agree that folding one side of a round hat up (the left) assists with shouldering a musket. Folding the other side up keeps it from getting scorched by the flash of a musket pan. Why were all three sides folded up? I can only say that it was a silly fashion. That is the reason that some kids today wear baseball hats backwards or sideways--it is stupid and renders the hat non-functional, but people still do it. I don't believe that human nature ever changes.

A bit late for the GAoP era, but Gen. Washington's expense account for late 1777 included purchase of several toothbrushes and tooth powder. The composition of the latter is unspecified, but period recipes include talc, cuttlefish bone and other strange and frightening ingredients.

Ah, Colonial food! My favorite topic (as my waistline demonstrates). As for my favorites, I have a few. As for the most perfect setting, it would be City Tavern in Philadelphia. It is a near perfect recreation of an original waterfront tavern (although pretty upscale). Expensive, but worth it, if only for cocktails after touring the Independence Hall area. My sentimental favorite is The Dobbin House in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (the oldest house west of the Susquehanna, or so they claim). I went to school there, and their basement pub is the perfect escape on a cold winter night (or, better still, on a hot summer day). Food isn't bad, either. Pretty serving wenches in period garb, generous portions and a house cocktail called Rum Belly's Vengeance...Wow! All in all, I would probably rate Shields' Tavern in Williamsburg as the most complete "immersion" experience. Sit in the basement, if you can, and see if you can get "Mr. Shields" to visit your table. I hosted a family gathering there the Christmas of 2004, and our dinner at Shields' was the highlight of the visit. Wonderful food and fantastic atmosphere. As for favorite dishes, I would nominate the Cream of Crawfish soup at the King's Arms Tavern in Williamsburg and the Bread Pudding with Bourbon and Vanilla Sauce at Fraunces' Tavern in New York City. My blood sugar soars at the thought! My feeling about Colonial taverns is like my feeling about pizza: even bad pizza is good.

I thought Queen Anne's Revenge was great...up to a point. The look is great, and they had some really cool artifacts. I was ready to love it. I wanted to love it. I didn't love it. It suffered from the failure common to most "theme" restaurants--they went 3/4's of the way, then stopped. What I mean is this: You have this great location, fantastic decor and a great theme, so why is your food identical to TGI Friday's, Bennigan's and Applebee's? I am not suggesting that they sell stockfish and ship's bread. I know that this would not be commercially viable. Still, why can't the menu match the theme? I have eaten at just about every Colonial-themed restaurant from Massachussetts to Florida, and most of them make at least a stab at injecting period flavor into their choices. Why not offer Salmagundi (chef's salad), Buccaneer Beef (barbequed ribs) and egg and onion pye (quiche)? People could still eat what they like, but they might accidentally learn something. This is a sore point for me, as I have taught Colonial cooking classes for more than a decade. People are astonished that our ancestors didn't eat rancid, tasteless slop. Give them a taste of piping hot Indian Pudding with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and they are converts for life.

One good old tradition of the New England coast (and repeated in variations in many other places): If it rains while the sun is shining, then the Devil is beating his wife with a codfish. What the Hell that means, exactly, I have never been able to ascertain.

Osprey Publishing sells a nice, short, well-illustrated volume called "Elizabethan Sea Dogs". It is brief, but has a nice cross-section of information and plenty of ideas for costuming. Another book, this one fictional, is called "The Golden Admiral" by F. Van Wyck Mason. I picked up a used hardcover copy in nice condition for a dollar, so the price was right. As I say, it is fictional, but is pretty well-researched and has a nice, "salty" feel to it. Covers Sir Francis Drake's voyages and the Spanish Armada.