the food sailors ate

[Raphael Misson]

I am reading Adventures by Sea of Edward Coxere and he really spreads himself on the topic of seines...

"[~1650, the Barbaries] The boat, being gone from the ship several leagues and was gone some days, at last found the island and returned with ten Moors and nets to fish with, sent by the Hollanders who inhabited there on the island. This was welcome news, for we were in a despairing condition. If we could not a found the place to have made our voyage in catching of fish, it would a been a very considerable loss to a returned empty back again." (Coxere, p. 19)

"We fell to works with our nets or seines to draw the fish to the shore. One of the Moors placed himself on the land looking into the sea, where he could see the shoals of fish. then he making signs to the other Moors in the boat, our men rowing off, the net being thrown into the sea, we should haul to the shore a ton of fish at a time, I think, of brave stately large mullets; that was the general sort of fish, which was called by the Moors leeses. There was also a large fish like a salmon, a very good fish, called carabeenes. We split our fish and salted it, and so put it in the hold. We caught, I think, near a hundred tons. There was also trouts in abundance swimming by the ship's side. Our hooks we made of nails; we made them crooked and filed beards to them, with which we could get as many trouts as desired. The carabines we would get with a shark-hook, putting on it a whole mullet for bait.

There is also another fish, which the Dutch call a pillestart [see Endnote A for absolute scads of info on identifying this as an eagle ray], in shape like a thornback, but a face something like a monkey, or some such creature, more than other fish. The sting on their tails were like poison. We, shooting of the seine into the sea, supposing a great draft of mullets we had met with but it proved to b e shoal of these pillestarts which are not worth anything to us." (Coxere, p. 20-1)

Endnote A: ...Mr David Barker writes: 'This is definitely one of the Sting Rays. The sailor gives the following clues:

• 1. the Dutch call it a pillestart.
  2. shape like a thornback
  3. face like a monkey.
  4. poisonous sting.
  

2 and 4 at once pin this fish down to a sting ray. A thornback is a fish with greatly enlarged pectoral fins, which extend up to the snout, and a row of serrated spines down its back. These fish belong to a family Rajidae. However, they have no sting in their tail as have two closely allied families, the Trygonidae and Myliobaridae. That the fish not a member of the former is suggested by 3, for the Trygonidae have almost no face at all, the fins continuing uninterruptedly to and being confluent with the snout. The Myliobatidae on the other hand have a well formed head, with a raised skull and protruding eyes which are really monkeylike. Of the members of this family it is almost certain to be Myliobatis aquila, the eagle ray. Like the Trygonidae these fish possess a serrated spine, but have a very much longer tail, which is whiplike. The wounds inflicted by this spine are dangerous not only because of the poisonous nature of the mucus inoculated but also because of the severe lacerations caused. Conrad Gesner (Historia Animalium, 1558, iiii, p. 802), illustrating both a Trygon and a Myliobatis, grouped together as a genus Pastinaca...

The eagle ray has an almost cosmopolitan distribution being occasionally found on the British coast.

[Dutchman]

john smith was deltavilles first unhappy tourist as he tangled with a stingray in 1607. seems the shallope ran aground and they decided to spear dinner with their rapiers. ray slid down the blade and got him in the arm.

[Raphael Misson]

What book is that in?

The description of the fishhooks is sort of neat, too. Every book I've read by a sailor during or near period has described fishing in one way or another. I can't believe I ever considered the idea that they wouldn't fish on a ship! (I think I mentioned this previously, but on another forum, someone told me they would never fish from a ship.)

[Matusalem]

George Francis Dow wrote in 1922 Pirates of the new England Coast 163-1730 of pirate Ned Low (as taken from an article from the Boston News-Letter June 27, 1723)

Low's insane rage was unabated two days later when a fishing boat was taken off Block Island. the master was taken aboard the pirate sloop and Low with furious oaths at once attacked him with a cutlass and hacked off his head. He gave the boat to two indians who sailed with the murdered man and sent them away with the information that he intended to kill the master of every New England vessel he captured. On the afternoon of the same day two whaling sloops out of Plymouth were taken near the Rhode Island Shore. The master he ripped open alive and taking out the poor man's heart ordered it roasted and then compelled the mate to eat it. The master of the other vessel he slashed and mauled about the deck and then cut off his ears and had them roasted and after sprinkling them with salt and pepper, made the unfortunate man eat them. the man's woulds were so severe that he died afterwards.

[Dutchman]

think i'll stick to fish.........

the john smith record is in his journal and is one of the few matches recorded similarly by one of his crew. not the fluffed smith version twenty years later.

[Mission]

Ah, now this is interesting in regard to fish. It's from Emily Cockayne's Hubbub: Filth, Noise & Stench in England (which Hurricane recommended):

In seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England much vegetable matter (including the humble potato) was routinely overlooked, and although most animal flesh, from slug to human, would nourish, most was taboo... Readily available common crude foods such as offal [the usually unused waste parts of a butchered animal], cabbage and salted fish were at the bottom of the food hierarchy." (Cockayne, p. 84) [Emphasis mine.]

This may explain why salted fish was not typically included in shipboard diets and may even explain why fishing was not more popular. (Although nearly every sea-journal I've read records episodes of fishing, usually while at anchor or when nothing was going on ship-board.)

[Fox]

Snipped from a thread on the PB forum (I actually only went to snip bits about salted fish, but it's all worth including):

In the chapter on sea-cooks in Ned Ward's satirical "Wooden World" he mentions lobscouse, and lots of fats and greases. In the chapter on the seaman Ward speaks of "rusty pork" and gives a wonderful description of the seaman's table manners:

"...if he be in his ordinary trim, he begins the attack without ceremony, and neither asks for grace or mustard to his victuals. He proportions his cut of meat to the size of his plate, and both this and that he champs down together. He is as unacquianted with a fork as a stone horse; and while he has a rag to his arse, he scorns to make use of a napkin; but if his allowance be very short, he is sure to lick his paws well before he wipes them on his breeches."

In the chapter on the Purser Ward mentions rotten peas and musty oatmeal, salt flesh meat, burgoo,

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The 17thC ballad "The Saylor's Complaint, or the true character of the purser of a ship" was clearly written by a seaman and contains some wonderfully descriptive lines about food.

...gives us mutty meat

With Biscuit that’s moldy and hard stinking cheese

And Pork fat in pounds...

His Oat-meal or Grout, known by the name Burgoo

Is fitting for nothing but to make sailors spew

His Brins no better than common kitchen-grease

The sailors are fear’d to eat with those pease

Such beef-fat [illegible] we constantly use

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Woodes Rogers' storeslist for his circumnavigation included (amongst many other things):

four Barrells of Beefe

four Hogsheads of Pork

eighty two ferkins of Butter

six hundred weight of Cheese

Eighteen Butts of Beere

Twelve Barrells of Oatmeale

Three Hogsheads of Vinegar

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Admiral William Monson writing in the early 17thC about Spanish rations aboard their galleys.

"Every soldier in a ship or galley has a pound and half of bread allowed him every day.

Of fresh beef three quarters of a pound and an ounce.

A wine quart of wine a day, and a pottle of water.

The slaves every day half an ounce of oil, two ounces of rice, beans or garbanzos*; one of these three.

They have six meals of flesh in a year, two at Christmas, two at Shrovetide, and two at Easter.

The Master. boatswain, corporal, gaoler, purser, oar-maker, and caulker have double the soldier's allowance a day.

The barber [ie. surgeon], two gunners, and boatswain's mates have but one allowance and a half a day.

[There then follows a bit about wages which I'm too lazy to type in.]

A pilot has four allowances and fifty shillings a month. A captain is allowed five pounds a month and two allowances. A General [ie. admiral] twenty-five pounds a month, and but one allowance.

There are allowed in every galley two slaves to row in the boat to shore, who have one allowance a day betwixt them both."

*A kind of very large bean.

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From John Josselyn's "Account of Two Voyages to New England", pub. 1673. (The voyages were made in 1638 and 1663)

"[in the Downs] we had good store of Flounder from the Fishermen, new taken out of the sea and living, which being readily gutted, were fry'd while they were warm; me thoughts I never tasted a delicater Fish in all my life before.

Later

...we were becalmed from 7 o'clock of the morning, till 12 of the clock at noon, where we took a good store of Whitings, and half a score of Gurnets...

Later, off Scilly

In the afternoon the Mariners struck a Porpisce, called also a Marsovius or sea-hogg, with an harping iron and hoisted her aboard, they cut some into thin pieces, and fryed...

The Thirteenth day we took a sharke, a great one, and hoisted him aboard with his two companions... The Seamen divided the shark into quarters... and after they had cooked him, he proved very rough Grain'd not worthy of wholesome preferment.

etcetera"

A little later Josselyn goes on to talk about typical rations of a merchantman:

"The Common Proportion of Victuals for the Sea to a mess, being 4 men, is as followeth:

Two pieces of beef, of 3 pound a 1/4 per piece.

Four pound of Bread.

One Pint 1/2 of Pease.

Four gallons of Bear, with Mustard and Vinegar for three flesh dayes in the week.

For four fish days, to each mess per day

Two pieces of Codd or Habberdine, making three pieces of a fish.

One quarter of a pound of Butter.

Four pound of Bread.

Three Quarters of a pound of Cheese.

Bear as before.

Oatmeal per day, for 50 men, gallon 1. and so proportionable for more or fewer.

Thus you see the ship's provision is Beefe, or Porke, Fish, Buter, Cheese, Pease, Pottage, Water-gruel, Bisket, and six shilling Bear.

For fresh provisions you [ie. the individual] may carry with you... Burnt-Wine, English Spirits. Prunes to stew, Raisons of the Sun, Currence, Sugar, Nutmeg, Mace, Cinnamon, Pepper, and Ginger, White Bisket or Spanish Rusk, Eggs, Rice, juice of Lemmons well put up to cure, or prevent the Scurvy."

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Royal Navy rations 1701.

The daily allowance:

One pound avoirdupois of good sound, clean, well bolted with a horse cloth, well baked, and well conditioned wheaten biscuit.

One gallon wine-measure of good wholesome warrantable beer, of such standard as that every guile of twenty tons of irojn bound beer shall be brewed with 20 quarters of very good malt, as good as general to be had where the beer is brewed, and enough of very good hops to keep the same for the time of its warranty; and 18 quarters of the like malt, with the like quantity of the like sort of hops, to every guile of twenty tons of wood-bound beer (to be good, sound, wholesome, and strong enough, for the use of his Majesty's ships in petty warrant victualling).

Two pounds of beef, killed and made up with salt in England, of a well fed ox, weighing not less than 5 hudredweight, if killed for sea victuals in the Port of London, or 4 1/2 cwt. from other ports in England. The salt beef to be for two of the four days, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday; but for the other two of these four days, one pound of bacon or salted English pork, of a well fed hog weighing not less than 3/4 cwt., and a pint of peas, Winchester measure.

for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday - besides the biscuit and beer - an eighth part of a full sized North Sea cod 24 inches long or a sixth part of a haberdine 22 inches long or a pound of well saved Poor John, together with two ounces of butter and four ounces of Suffolk cheese (or two-thirds that quantity of Cheshire cheese).

And whereas you are, by former instructions, to deliver clean and well dressed oatmeal in lieu of sized fish (where the Principal Officers and Commissioners of the Navy shall direct your so doing), you are at liberty to pursue this practice (which hath been of long standing in the Navy) where you shall judge it may be for the Service, unless the contrary shall be ordered by the Admiralty or Navy Board.

The foregoing scale is both for harbour and at sea, except that in harbour, bread in loaves and fresh meat with salt to corn it are to be provided in lieu of biscuit and salt beef or pork.

The scale for ships south of latitude 39degrees N. may be modified as follows (by order of the Admiralty or Navy Board):

Rusk in lieu of biscuit.

Half a pint of brandy in lieu of beer, for at least half the amount of beer on board; or "beverage" wine, but only in case of necessity, as it is less wholesome than beer. And in the West Indies, where brandy is seldom to be had, and where if has for many years been customary to furnish 3/4 of a pint of rum and 1/4 of a pound of sugar a man a day, instead of 1/2 a pint of brandy or a gallon of beer - this custom is to continue.

Three pounds of flour, and either a pound of raisins or half a pound of currants or half a pound of pickled beef suet, in lieu of a piece of beef or pork and peas.

Four pounds of Milan rice or two stockfish (at least 16 inches long) in lieu of a sized fish.

A pint of sweet olive oil in lieu of a pound of butter or two pounds of Suffolk cheese.

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(From a post by Das'n'danger)

A small store of creature comforts would sometimes be kept - things like bacon, dried tongue, marmalade, nuts, and currants. In A Sea Grammar by Captain John Smith, he wrote, "For when a man is ill, or at the point of death, I would know whether a dish of buttered rice, with a little Cynamon, Ginger and Sugar be not better than Salt Fish or Salt Beef."

In 1691 an anonymous English pirate captain off of Calicut, India. tried to come to a gentlemanly agreement with the local East India Co. agent, writing for, 'wood and water, as well as provisions for refreshing the men...as well as for one hundred weight of limes." Later he demanded, "a hogshead of rum and sugar equivalent for punch..."

Another reference is to the 1719 attack on the English slave ship, Bird Galley. It states, "Shortly afterward the pirate commander, Captain Thomas Cocklyn...came aboard. He issued an order for all the live fowl on the Bird Galley - geese, turkeys, chickens and ducks - to be killed and cooked, and they were put into an immense cauldron with no more preparation than drawing the guts and singeing the feathers; along with the fowl went some Westphalian hams and a pregnant sow, which the pirate cook simply disemboweled and threw into the brew with the bristles still on." Also, "Snelgrave (of the Bird Galley) stood helplessly by and watched as Cocklyn's and Davis' men 'hoisted upon Deck a great many half hogsheads of Claret and French Brandy; knock'd their Heads out, and dipp'd Canns and Bowls into them to drink out of: And in their Wantonness threw full Buckets upon one another. And in the evening washed the Decks with what remained in the Casks. As to bottled Liquor, they would not give themselves the trouble of drawing the Cork out, but nick'd the Bottles, as they called it, that is, struck their necks off with a Cutlace; by which means one in three was generally broke. As to Eatables, such as Cheese, Butter, Sugar, and many other things, they were as soon gone.'"

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One other interesting point is that we tend to think of the standard ships' fare as pretty horrible - and certainly there are complaints about it - but complaints tended to be about quantity rather than quality, and we do have records of people positively enjoying some of it! The Swiss traveller Cesar de Saussure sailed on board an English warship in the 1720s:

Each sailor eats one pound of boiled salt beef three days in the week for dinner, together with a pudding made of flour and suet. On two other days he eats boiled salted pork with a pudding of dried peas, and on the remaining two days pea soup and salt fish or bargow, which is a nasty mixture of gruel as thick as mortar... [the ship's bisuits are] as large as a plate, white, and so hard that those sailors who have no teeth, or bad ones, must crush them or soften them with water. I found them, however, very much to my taste, and they reminded me of nuts.

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From Nathaniel Knott's "Advice of a Seaman", 1634.

...

The brewers have gotten the art to sophisticate beer with broom instead of hops, and ashes instead of malt, and (to make it look the more lively) to pickle it with salt water, so that whilst it is new, it shall seemingly be worthy of praise, but in one month wax worse than stinking water.

...

As much care as is to be had of this I would have taken for salting of the flesh which they shall eat: the heat of the South seas will search whether it be well salted or no: if not, it soon turns to carrion, and lumps of putrefaction. There is a common proverb that nothing will poison a sailor. Perhaps they have poisoned many that use it; God grant they may poison no more.

Knott praised the Dutch victuallers for their healthy sailors (which he ascribed in part to their providing good water instead of beer), and he was not alone. Nathaniel Butler, writing at about the same time also pointed out the better health of Dutch seamen in his Dialogues, though he put the cause down to their eating less salt meat.

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[Bart LeBaron]

I think it really depends on how many crewmen there were aboard a ship relative to the amount of food available. It also must be considered that they did not eat the same. Regular crewman probably ate slop (biscuits, salamagundi, jerk pork) while the officers and captain ate finer food (boiled beef, capon, fruit, etc). All I know is that they fed the crew minimally, since supplies were so limited, while the captain and officers often overate.

[blackjohn]

I think it really depends on how many crewmen there were aboard a ship relative to the amount of food available.

I'll drink to that!

It also must be considered that they did not eat the same. Regular crewman probably ate slop (biscuits, salamagundi, jerk pork) while the officers and captain ate finer food (boiled beef, capon, fruit, etc). All I know is that they fed the crew minimally, since supplies were so limited, while the captain and officers often overate.

On a pirate ship?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[Mission]

He is right about naval and privateer ships and, to a lesser extent, merchant ships. It might be true on pirate ships, if only due to tradition. Although my impression of salmagundi is that it was primarily a shore-based recipe. You need fresh foods to make it, so it would probably be limited to short voyages or the beginning of voyages if it were prepared on board.

[Capn Bob]

For some reason, and I don't know why, I'm sharply reminded of what the good Cap'n John Smith related about colonial dietary habits during the period known as The Starving Time:

"Nay, so great was our famine, that a Salvage we slew, and buried, the poorer sort took him up again and eat him, and so did divers one another boiled and stewed with roots and herbs: And one amongst the rest did kill his wife, powdered her, and had eaten part of her before it was known, for which he was executed, as he well deserved; now whether she was better roasted, boiled or carbonado'd, I know not, but of such a dish as powdered wife I never heard of."

General History of Virginia, 1624

Note that "powdering" simply refers to salting...so it's "salted wife"

Yum!

George Francis Dow wrote in 1922 Pirates of the new England Coast 163-1730 of pirate Ned Low (as taken from an article from the Boston News-Letter June 27, 1723)

Low's insane rage was unabated two days later when a fishing boat was taken off Block Island. the master was taken aboard the pirate sloop and Low with furious oaths at once attacked him with a cutlass and hacked off his head. He gave the boat to two indians who sailed with the murdered man and sent them away with the information that he intended to kill the master of every New England vessel he captured. On the afternoon of the same day two whaling sloops out of Plymouth were taken near the Rhode Island Shore. The master he ripped open alive and taking out the poor man's heart ordered it roasted and then compelled the mate to eat it. The master of the other vessel he slashed and mauled about the deck and then cut off his ears and had them roasted and after sprinkling them with salt and pepper, made the unfortunate man eat them. the man's woulds were so severe that he died afterwards.

[Mission]

Here's an interesting piracy food tale from William Funnell's book Voyage Round the World. This is from his 1704 journal entries.

“I have heard Captain Martin tell of some French Pirates who were in these Seas, that having been sometime cruising up and down, and not meeting with a sufficient Booty, and being every where discovered by the Spaniards, and out of hopes of getting any more; they concluded to come to this Island of Juan Fernando’s, they being twenty in number, and there to lie nine or ten Months; which accordingly they did, and landed on the West side of the Island; then drew there little Armadilla ashoar, and in a small time brought the Goats to be so tame, as that they would many of them come to themselves to be milked; of which Milk they made good Butter and Cheese, not only just to supply their Wants whilst they were upon the Island, but also to serve them long after…” (Funnell, p. 20-1)

Juan Fernandez Island is where Alexander Selkirk [Defoe's model for Crusoe] was marooned for four years and four months.

[Mission]

Some good details in this:

“[1705] The Cocoa-Tree is small, and the Nut or Kernel bigger than an Almond; and ripens in a great Husk, wherein are sometimes 30, nay 40 Cocoas. These Cocoas are made use of to make Chocolate: And as in England we go to the Tavern to drink a Glass of Wine, so they do here (upon this Coast of Mexico) as frequently go to their Markets to drink a Dish of Chocolate; And the Indians count it a very wholesom Drink. We were glad, whilst we were upon this Coast, to make three Meals a Day of it for near a Month. We would much rather, if we could, have fed upon Flesh; But however, living near a Month upon Chocolate, it made us very fat, and we found that it kept us very well in Health. Whether, if we had lived upon it much longer, it would have done us hurt, I know not; but I am apt

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to believe it would have increased our Fat too fast, and so have made us unhealthy.” (Funnell, p. 89-90)

[Cannibal Chrispy]

Lest we forget the "Custom of the sea".

[Mission]

I thought this was funny. He seems to be describing the armadillo and the skunk to me. It's from John Wood's Captain Wood’s Voyage Through the Streights of Magellan, &c., from William Hacke’s A collection of original voyages (1699):

“[1670, Port of St. Julian] Ostridges are also very numerous there, and run so wondrous swift, that they are not to be taken without Dogs: Besides which, we found many such Hares here, as have already been mentioned to have been at Port Desire, some of them weighing twenty Pounds. The Foxes are numerous in this Country, but less than those in England. Here is moreover a little Animal that is somewhat less than a Land-Turtle, having a jointed Shell on his back, and which we found to be excellent Food, the Spaniards call it A Hog in Armour. But above all, I cannot pass over without mentioning a little Creature with a Bushy Tail, which we called a Huffer, because when he sets sight on you, he’ll stand vapouring and patting with his Fore-feet upon the Grounnd, and yet hath no manner of defence for himself but with his Breech; for upon your approaching near him, he turns about his Back-side, and squirts at you, accompanied with the most abominable Stink in the World.” (Wood, p. 69)

[Mission]

Also from Wood (which I find very interesting):

“[1670, Port of St. Julian] Before our departure from hence, we sowed several sorts of English Seed, such as Turnips, Carrots, Colworts, Reddishes, Beans, Pease and Onions. Some of each of which, that the Patagonians had left, we found upon our return. The Turnips were very good, but for the Reddishes, Beans and Pease, they were gone to Seeds; Neither could we perceive that the Indians had used any of them, but only pulled them up by the Roots, and then left them to wither.” (Wood, p. 73)

[Graydog]

The seeding of islands both with seeds and live stock for the purposes of later resupply is a fascinating subject that gets missed in many a history book. I’d think with the folks concerned about environmental impact and species migration that this would be a subject more fully explored and discussed in mainstream histories.

We have a situation out in Southern California where a similar concept was used and that’s how we got our eucalyptus trees introduced in the late 19th century. They were brought in for railroad ties as they were the fastest growing tree available (if you consider Australia available), but upon first harvest the trees’ wood was found unsuitable for railroad ties, too late, the species had a foothold in SoCal by then.

Very interesting post Mission, thank you.

[Patrick Hand]

that’s how we got our eucalyptus trees introduced in the late 19th century.

But it makes good firewood if you split it before it dries.......

OK... on topic.... Kinda funny how early books describe the animals and birds found in the New World... then tell you how tasty they were....

[Mission]

We have a situation out in Southern California where a similar concept was used and that’s how we got our eucalyptus trees introduced in the late 19th century. They were brought in for railroad ties as they were the fastest growing tree available (if you consider Australia available), but upon first harvest the trees’ wood was found unsuitable for railroad ties, too late, the species had a foothold in SoCal by then.

True. Although plants are also spread 'naturally' across islands and continents, the common culprit usually being identified as bird poop. (This is if you consider humans spreading them unnatural. I would enjoy arguing this point about over several shots of single malt scotch as I think the distinction is mostly arbitrary. Folks swimming in Kudzu in the southeast might argue with me, but boundaries are just arbitrary constructs we mentally invent. Evolution is as evolution does, no matter who helps it along.)

[Mission]

Some of us are always wondering about the Spanish and their ship-board conditions, so I thought I'd share this. It's from The Memoirs of Pére Labat 1693-1705, translated and edited by John Eaden. Labat's ship was captured by the Spanish but the French managed to convince the Spanish that he (Father Labat) was a Commissaire du Saint Office (some sort of high official given power by the King) and so he was given special treatment shipboard by the Spanish.

Preserves, biscuits, and wine were served, and we discussed the events which must have surprised all Europe, and agreed war would be the result of it [when he was captured by the Spaniards].” (Labat, p. 186)

“They were cooking their food on decks between the main and mizzen masts, but when they are at sea I believe that the galley is under the fo’c’sle. Each member of the crew has his own private pot, for the sailors and solider are called signores Marineros y loss ignores Soldados, and are too high and might to be fed a la Gamelle as our fellows.” (Labat, p. 186)

“The first course was five dishes of fruit and the chaplain first served the Governor, and then the rest of the company. After the fruit had been removed, a large dish of sausages and tripe was served. This surprised me as it was Holy Saturday, but the

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chaplain observing this told me that at sea one did the best one could, and further that the Pope’s bull of the Crusade allowed privileges which I might also enjoy since I was their guest. Naturally I did my best to oblige my hosts and ate everything with a hearty appetite. The sausages were followed by three large boiled chickens, and these by a ragout of pork. After this we ate a dish of pigeons, then a great bowl of potato broth, and to finish we had chocolate. I found it strange that nearly every one ate cassava instead of biscuits, though it was very white, light, and well cooked. But I found it still more strange to see no one drinking, and waited for some one to begin. In the end I grew impatient and asked if I might have something to drink, for the sausages had made me thirsty. A servant at once brought me an earthenware cup holding about a pint of water. I thereupon told the chaplain that only invalids and chickens drink water in my country, but that I was a man and in very good health too. A servant then brought me a large glass of wine on a tray. But here was another difficulty, for I was not in the habit of drinking wine without water. In the end I had to call my boy, who was searching all the ship for my lost belongings [which had been taken by the Spanish soldiers when they took Labat’s ship prisoner], to come and serve me in the way I am accustomed. It was then these gentlemen’s turn to be surprised when they saw me drink my wine mixed with water, for this is quite different to their custom. They drank very little at meals

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and then only water, and when one of them drank, his neighbour would as often as not drink what remained in the cup.

At the end of the meal each person was given a glass of wine and drank to the Governor’s health.

As a rule but one meal a day is served, and besides this meal most of the Spaniards only ate preserves and chocolate. But so long as we were their guests we were also given a very good supper, which the chaplain and some of the officers always shared with us more for the sake of hospitality than because they were hungry.” (Labat, p. 187-9)

[Black William]

Here's an interesting piracy food tale from William Funnell's book Voyage Round the World. This is from his 1704 journal entries.

“I have heard Captain Martin tell of some French Pirates who were in these Seas, that having been sometime cruising up and down, and not meeting with a sufficient Booty, and being every where discovered by the Spaniards, and out of hopes of getting any more; they concluded to come to this Island of Juan Fernando’s, they being twenty in number, and there to lie nine or ten Months; which accordingly they did, and landed on the West side of the Island; then drew there little Armadilla ashoar, and in a small time brought the Goats to be so tame, as that they would many of them come to themselves to be milked; of which Milk they made good Butter and Cheese, not only just to supply their Wants whilst they were upon the Island, but also to serve them long after…” (Funnell, p. 20-1)

Juan Fernandez Island is where Alexander Selkirk [Defoe's model for Crusoe] was marooned for four years and four months.

Goats were first introduced onto Juan Fernandez Island in 1540 by Juan Fernandez, discoverer of the island, as a food source for future mariners. I believe it was a common practice at the time to introduce goats on islands as a future food source. Goats reproduce rapidly, particularly on islands with few predators, and can live on forage, not requiring the rich pastures required by cattle. Making cheese would be relatively easy, but as the cream does not separate from goats milk as it does in cows milk, making butter would be more difficult. Modern cream separators for goats milk use centrifugal force. I am not sure how or if they made butter from goats milk in 1704.

[landlubbersanonymous]

In The Sea Rover's Practice by B. Little there's mention of La Cuisine des Flibustiers... a 300+ page book on French pirate recipes. Has anyone ever seen or acquired this? We were considering scooping up a copy.

- Eric & Family

Amazon link...

http://www.amazon.co.../dp/2752905130/

Sample text...

http://www.etonnants...php?article6468

An (English) review...

http://www.frenchpub...ibustiers-.html

[Mission]

Bookfinder is your friend when it comes to odd books like that one. (Hope you can read French.)

[landlubbersanonymous]

Bookfinder is your friend when it comes to odd books like that one. (Hope you can read French.)

Thanks for link.

Re: French... we'll wing it. Hey, we can always test results on the neighbors eh?

[William Brand]

We should discuss those fishes that were eaten into extinction on very specific islands at some point. Certain varieties of birds as well. We don't think of these of course, because, well...they're gone.