Pirates of the Whydah

[Matusalem]

Dang! I only caught the last 20 minuted of the program last night on the National Geographic channel...couldn't help it, I was in-between watching the clinching Stanley Cup final....those penguins.

Is this an old telecast?

[Graydog]

It's been out a few months. It will play again.

A first rate show!

[Matusalem]

A first rate show!

In the meantime, I'm dropping by down to Philly to see the exhibit...if I can find an excuse (...and the gas money) to do the 2 hr drive. I'm hoping the museum store will have some dvd's of the NG channel's Whydah

[Kate Souris]

I think that they did have the DVD in the museum store. Michael and I went twice and the first time they didn't have half of the stuff in the store that they had the second time. Second time around they had this great book with color pictures of the artifacts (since you can't photograph in the exhibit)....which we now own.

[pyrateleather]

Finally got to see this last night! Very interesting.

Anyone know where the exhibit is scheduled to go later?

[Matusalem]

Anyone know where the exhibit is scheduled to go later?

The exhibit in Philly ends in september but the website doesn't list any dates afterwards. However you might wat to call the exhibitors at this Cape Cod number & email to get more info.

(508) 487-8899

whydahmuseum@yahoo.com

I saw the program last night....friggin two hours long. Learned something I didn't know: the wreck was on the Atlantic side (vicinity of Marconi beach), not on the CapeCod Bay side via Wellfleet as the history books said. I think I'll catch the exhibit this weekend before it dissapears. I kind of neglected to see the exhibit because, well, I can't stand wasting a perfectly good summer afternoon inside a museum.

[TheBlackFox]

There's a two page photospread about the exhibit in the summer Pyrates Way

[LadyBarbossa]

Got to amazinly enough watch this documentary and I was rather blown away myself with the info let alone the artifacts! Hell, the Whydah IS the treasure! At least in my opinion.

T'was interesting with mention of the young lad.

Oh, better yet... the silk ribbons used to tie on pistol to the other and drape over the neck/shoulders to fire and drop, easy transport when boarding, etc. Interesting. This be true?

aye... I hope to see this again sometime. Wonder if it's on YouTube. Gawk at the artifacts.

BTW... I missed the part they were talking about a ring... I'm guessing was mentioned it was Bellamy's ring... of two turtledoves over water with some saying... what was that about? Had a phonecall at that time and completely missed that part. Can someone explain that one to me, please?

~Lady B

[pyrateleather]

BTW... I missed the part they were talking about a ring... I'm guessing was mentioned it was Bellamy's ring... of two turtledoves over water with some saying... what was that about? Had a phonecall at that time and completely missed that part.  Can someone explain that one to me, please?

The 2 turtledoves thing was a wax seal.

Info and sketches from the online exhibit is here. The phrase is pretty cool, I think; “LE MORT SI IE VOVS PERS” or “’Til Death if it pleases Thee.”

Here are some nice replicas available at a pretty reasonable price as a necklace or earrings.

[Graydog]

... the silk ribbons used to tie on pistol to the other and drape over the neck/shoulders to fire and drop, easy transport when boarding, etc. Interesting. This be true?

If you will go to the link (about half-way down the page) you will find both a picture of the ribbons and narrative about their use.

Archaeological Institute of America

[LadyBarbossa]

ahh... thank ye both! :)

I pray I'll be able to view the documentary again. Maybe, if time allows.

~Lady B

[Kate Souris]

BTW... I missed the part they were talking about a ring... I'm guessing was mentioned it was Bellamy's ring... of two turtledoves over water with some saying... what was that about? Had a phonecall at that time and completely missed that part.  Can someone explain that one to me, please?

The 2 turtledoves thing was a wax seal.

Info and sketches from the online exhibit is here. The phrase is pretty cool, I think; “LE MORT SI IE VOVS PERS” or “’Til Death if it pleases Thee.”

Here are some nice replicas available at a pretty reasonable price as a necklace or earrings.

Michael bought me the necklace of this and I love it. Very well made and not cheesey looking....

[LadyBarbossa]

Awww... isn't that sweet of him. :)

~Lady B

[Matusalem]

Who here has seen the exhibit? Raise ye tankard if you have.

Today, the 23rd of August, there are 10 days left before it leaves Philadelphia...don't know where it's going to go next. I'll spoil it for you.

Needless of me to say, today I went and was quite blown away by the artifacts which were the real deal. I would have spent an entire day taking pictures but not allowed, especially with the amout of security and cameras. Shame though...there was that much stuff for a day's worth of photos. Though I do recommend buying the national geographic book (which I'll show later) But here's a Link with some photos. Everything in the exhibit is in the national geographic book, with the exception of one particular item which I thought was the most fascinating: A sawed-off musket. The stock and brass hardware were all there, plus a brass barrel with leaf ornamentation, which the end of the barrel was somewhat jaggedly sawn, which the gun was the same legnth of a sawd off shotgun. I wanna know the story behind the original owner real badly. Besides the ships bell which read THE WHYDAH GALLY and the TEYE ring, The showcase of the exhibit was the Sun King Pistol, complete with the aforementioned silk ribbon that Lady B mentioned, in great shape for being on the ocean floor for almost 300 years. Captain Barbossa would have been sickly jealous of the thing. By my eyes, the silk bandolier was about 2 inches wide embroidered ribbon that seemed to radiate in 4 directions from a center point like the letter X. I don't know why, perhaps the ribbon was laminated toghether, then separated later on. The knots on the end are still there.

Plenty of small arms, powder (black), boarding axes, balls, plenty of sword hilts and handles but no sword...they must have rusted away. Plenty of buckles, buttons, cufflinks, pins, syringes, hammers, chisels, slide rules, brass navigational instuments, weights, gold jewelry & bric-a-brac from african countries, gold & silver chunks, some actual rope, blocks, pewter plates, forks, spoons, knife handles but no blades ((see a pattern here?), a dozen grenadoes, several cannon & great guns from different ships. Danish 6-pounder with a crown insignia on top, British 3 & 4 pounders, ball shot, bar shot, double ball shot, double half-ball shot, small shot, reamers, etc....all looking in better shape than most of the civil war cannon in front of your local town hall. (9 year old John king...a leg bone is all that's left of him on display, his shoe, and a sock...which was a pretty decent condition of a silk stocking with a few small holes. ...and a very LARGE quantity of 'pieces-of-eight', all lovingly restored. A few of these POE's were sandwiched under a ½" thick piece of plexiglass with a dozen ¾" diameter holes drilled so you can stick your finger and touch the pieces and move them around with your finger. There were a number of chunks of "concretions" which still have a lot of the artifacts un removed, like pistols.

[Dutchman]

matusalem, the bandoleer. how long were the ribbons?

[Carolina Buccaneer]

Yes, it's amazing how well all the finds are still in so good condition after 300 years.

I have three of of Barry Cliffords books, great reading !

"Expedtion Whydah" ," Return to Treasure Island and the search for Captian Kid" and "The Lost Fleet, The Discovery of a Sunken Armada From the Golden Age of Piracy,"

[LadyBarbossa]

So the ribbons were knocked at the end? I wasn't sure if they burned ends of rope or ribbons so they didn't unravel. Or if they just knotted them off.

Wicked!

I plan to do this now with my pirate attire with the ribbons then eventually in due time. Oh, this is absolutely wicked!

I'd imagine the ribbon was mighty long I know I'd have mine at about 2 yards worth so it can wrap around the pistol as well as drape around my neck/shoulders comfortably. :::Shrugs::: But, great question to ask! Yeah, how long did the ribbon look to you?

~Lady B

[Dutchman]

well here is my rationalle. When I'm teaching at the academy, One of the other instructors always inevitably mentions pirates and firearms (they love to distract me so they can take a break), so i have to go into the whole boarding tactics lecture. Part of it is the blunderbuss was the original close quarters battle shotgun and pistols were tied off- a modern day equivilant is a combat sling for rifles. therefore pirates were close quarters combatants. the length of the ribbons is an important clue to add to this lecture. Although probably never proveable, if the four ribbons are long enough the pistol can be secured mid chest, which is where the current training trend has shooters doing all the weapons functions from. this would also favor the drawings of the cartridge box being stowed center belt durring a fight. pistol and box are close together for ease of loading.

just my two cents worth

yayaya i know throw the empty gun, but how ya gonna throw it if its secured to ya on a ribbon. besides i would challenge that it might be possible to reload atleast twice with pistols (three shots) within range durring boardings. think about it. the boats are approaching each other. you are within pistol range and shoot. twiddle thumbs while boats get closer...... twiddle..... twiddle..... ok throw it now!!! i highly suspect there would have been multiple shots BEFORE boarding mixed with lots of cover and concealment. Now once boarders are away, oh yeah one shot and throw it or use it as a club! if you have multiple weapons do you want to shoot them all and then have to reload or board? no. shoot from one and have the rest ready to go for the thick of battle- not nuicanse shots. the ribbons keep them from falling overboard durring a boarding and close at hand while ducking and weaving onboard the pirate ship.

[Dutchman]

double post- sorry

[Matusalem]

I'm going to move the thread over to 'Captain Twill', see some photos there.