Will Fiddle

Well Lad, technically, they didn't have to get out of their stays... That just made things comfy. Women folk don't wear pants in their nether regions until after the French start that inconvenient fashion around 1750.

Watt is indeed engaging and informative, and I am digging through him for more material on medical practice and the nature of "scientific" investigations. Both my wife and I are really wondering about the use of "new whelpt pups". Current science has shown that the use of Dragon's Blood, makes good sense. I can even understand the thought process behind packing wounds with dung; it makes sense as dung helps things to grow. But puppies? I think you are right, I have to get my hands on some of Pare's texts. I found him online in e-text once, but that was years ago.

Mission, Thank you for the thoughtfulness and detail of your reply. It is fascinating that Yonge is attributed as being in favor or the posterior flap, as the evidence you present --and with which I am inclined to agree-- militates to the contrary. As you say, he does not recommend the procedure. Rather, he recommends to his reader that he first heard of it it was from an ingenious "Brother". "I shall now entertain you with an account of the manner of this Operation, I would recommend to you, after I have told you, that it was from a very ingenious Brother of ours, Mr. C. Lowdham of Exceter, that I had the first hints thereof." Much as Pare had his puppies, Lowdham has this flap, or was aware of the flap procedure. Dr Watt in JRSM seems eager throughout his article to demonstrate how often unsung heroes of naval medical practice championed innovations only to be ignored by lesser minds and their wisdom lost. It is much the same spirit as Moore's zealous desire to attribute hundreds of texts to Defoe, including the General History. Thanks also for interjecting explanations for the many terms. Some of these I knew, but others I am transferring into my personal study guide. William

In Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Volume 78 September 1985, Watt describes how "In 1697, James Yonge, surgeon at the naval hospital in Plymouth, devised a posterior flap technique for amputation which avoided sepsis and bone necrosis and accelerated healing (Yonge 1697, pp 108-120). How does this differ from the "circular method"? Does this mean Yonge advocated a flap for closure as opposed to bringing the peeled back flesh to close like the end of a salami? Direction to an informative source is as welcome as a direct answer.

Thanks for the posting of material from Moyle. Much work to be done just on this series of quotes, and a new source to be dug up. Will

The Crew of the Archangel was in great form this weekend and had some great battles. Sadly, I missed the battles, as I had to fight onstage eslewhere as Sir Francis Drake, still pirating, but missing my friends on the beach. THere is a great video on youtube showing the Crew doing a great battle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy1JAaT-yjw

Thanks for the heads up. I am sharing with friends from the Bristol Faire. Very sad.

Excellent eye for detail on distinguishing the dates of the narratives. And good call on using Paré as a source on surgical techniques. I read some of his book through a clumsy database interface and am eager to get my paws on the text in a more substantial form.

I love this database! I have been swimming in it throughout the year. It wonderfully searchable, and it has a nice summation of the history of sentencing and punishment. My favorite part though is the detail that comes with so many of the cases. And it seems that perps have always been a little slow. "No, it was a guy that just looked like me. I was chasing him when this other guy grabbed me."

It was great playing with everyone at Kenosha this year. Two pirate groups made for even more fun by the beach. There was an event up the hill from us, but I hardly ever got up there except to visit friends and relatives. Special thanks from me to Brigands Folie for their music, Matt Utley for his Coq D'Vin, Captain Bo for his selections of rum, Captain Brian for taking me out in the Pirata Del'Lago, Valerie for letting me letting take the tiller on her boat, Lark for Fire-Dancing, Rats for being such a dude, and to everyone--too numerous to detail--else who helped make my hometown event my favorite event of the year. Any ideas for next year?

I am subsrcibed to Smoke and Fire because I also do F&I and Rev War, and Rennaisance. There really isn't all that much in it for pirates, but it is starting to improve. One thing that is useful though is reading about other reenactments and making notes of the things that worked well for them and trying to find ways in which those practices might be adapted to making a pirate event work better. My group "the Great Lakes River Pirates" mostly attends pre-1840 time line events, in the states around lake Michigan. The event listings in S&F are great for finding new regional events where one can meet new people who also are interested in piracy even if they happen to be a Voyageur at the even at which you meet. But once you have one issue, the value of the event listing drops way down for the next few issues. So to answer the question. Yes it is worth subscribing to, sort of...

Thanks much for the heads up on the 1990 Treasure Island. It really is one of the best pirate stories out there, and is pivotal to how we approach even historical piracy, like a trade wind on the sea's currents.

blistering

That sounds like a great presentation, Pity it is the same weekend as the OshKosh trade show. Best wishes for captivating yer audience!

I've worn my buckle shoes all day on several occassions, expecially when my regular blacks were getting resoled. On most days no one noticed, though a couple of ladies noticed something was amiss when they noticed that my toes were squared. For the start of my class on pirates, I wore my waistcoat and cravat, one colleague commented on the formality of my cravat, but didn't seem to notice that my vest was extra long, so maybe I can start wearing my waistcoats on a regular basis... It was -3 degrees in Kenosha this morning, and I seriously considered wearing my gaiters for extra warmth

"Let's go a'roving, a'roving across the ocean, oh let's go a'roving and join the buccaneer!" Is it just me or is that theme song addictive? It sticks in my head worse than that "You are a Pirate" song from Lazytown. If you are unfamiliar with that flavor of evil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AzpByR3MvI All Apologies for the damage done to those who dare watch that.

It was zero when I woke up this morning, and everything feels like the land of the dead. The snow creaks with that awful crunch that happens at these temperatures, and the air only moves to bite your face. How I love Wisconsin!

I hadn't thought of it until just now, but the motifs of the pirates would have to have good cultural currency in order for their message to be communicated by their flags. Precious little intimidation value in having the merchantmen scratch their heads... "why has that skeleton an hourglass, is he cooking eggs? Is he waiting for a fellow to return the bow that goes with that arrow?" Thanks for the Jamestown link, much to explore there.

The Buccaneers, was a good purchase, and I thank Misson and Black Bonnie for recommending it. One of my favorite bits is Shaw singing "Spanish Ladies" in several episodes. Isn't that the song that he sings in "Jaws"? Well worth the small change for the series.

Have to say I am with Misson on this. Killing Norrington made sense. He redeems himself a little at the end, but despite his honesty and valour, he tried to work within the rules, be part of the system. And that sort of thing is the opposite of the pirate ethos being celebrated / explored in the films. He dies because that is what happens to people who don't seek freedom. They get crushed in the gears of the machines to which they chain themselves. At least that is my take on him...

Thanks for sharing that, it brightened my afternoon. It is amazing where Gilbert and Sullivan will show up. The theater at my college is putting on a production of Pirates of Pennzance--which a wonderful coincidence what with me teaching pirates for our January term.

Last Friday I showed my class "The Black Pirate" with Douglass Fairbanks Sr. They absolutely loved the last quarter of the film with all the bondage boys in their short pants and leather straps monkey piling on the pirates and all the rest of the absurd climax of the film. It was an incredible contrast to the polish evident in most everything in Flynn's "Captain Blood" made only ten years later. I have read that Fairbanks wanted the action to be tongue and cheek, but WOW! Is anyone familiar with the history of the film's production? Why is that ship so absurd? Did the production designer give the carpenters very vague descriptions of what a Spanish Ship should look like? Why is the signet ring Egyptian? Did they have nothing else in the props closet? Why are all of the soldiers dressed like bondage boys? Did they run out of cloth for costumes? Why do they row up in what appears to be a Viking long boat? Did they spend all their maritime budget on the wierd ship and have to make do with materials from other films? Seriously, if anyone knows the background on this film, my class and I loved it, and we want to know more about it. Two guys are buying a copy just to watch with friends.

Gaiters aren't only for protecting your stockings. They are also valuable for covering the tops of your shoes, protecting your feet from stones that can really get aggravating on a march. I am unaware of high top lace-up-tight shoes, but gaiters do the job pretty well from my experience with them. Lord, I wouldn't swim in them, but they are great for walking about in. Mine are a Cotton Canvas Duck Cloth, but a friend suggests a Russian linen canvas as a more appropriate fabric for the period if going with cloth. I have seen a picture of bucaneers in Arica with what seemed to be gaiters, that was probably 1690's. Wierd Dejavu feeling that Foxe will direct me to an online picture that shows the image in my head.

Yarr! I can paint on sails and lines using Icing! This promises much...

Was Pyrates Magazine ever intended to cater to people really interested in pirates, or was it intended to be a glossly rag that capitalized on the pop culture presence of the films made a few bucks and then faded into obscurity all within three years time? A salutation to John Young for at least giving it a try.