The Arabian Lady

[Misson]

"This Arabian lady [in an Arabian village located near the port of Aleppo in Scanderoon/Alexandretta] was tall and very slender, very swarthy of complexion and very thin-faced, as they all [are] generally; having nothing on but a thin loose garment, a kind of girdle about her middle and the garment open before. She had a ring in her left nostril, which hung down below her nether lip; at each ear a round globe as big as a tennis-ball, shining like gold and hanging (in chains that looked like gold) almost as low as her breast, which you might easily see, and loathe them for their ugly yellowish colour. She had also gold chains about her wrists, and the smalls of her naked legs. Her nails of her fingers were coloured almost red, and her lips coloured as blue as indigo; and so also was her belly from the naval to her hams, painted with blue like branches of trees or strawberry leaves. Nor was she cautious, but rather ambitious to show you this sight; as the only rarity of their sex or country." (The Journal of Henry Teonge, p. 142)

The tennis-ball reference surprised me. I wonder if the editor changed the original word or if it is actually a reference to the sport of tennis that was being played at that time.

From http://www.historyoftennis.net/history_of_tennis.html:

"The first tennis ball was wooden. It gave way to a bouncier, leather ball filled with cellulose material. The monasteries across Europe cherished the game during the 14th century much to the chagrin of the Church.

The game soon became very popular, predominantly in France where it was adopted by the royal family. During the period between the 16th and 18th centuries, the game called ' Jeu de paumme' - the game of the palm was a highly regarded by kings and noblemen. The French players would begin the game by shouting the word “tenez!” which meant “Play!” The game soon came to be called royal or “real tennis.”"

[Dutchman]

ah Henry Teonge.

A wonderful read. It took me a while to find it, but is worth the coins. He was a chaplain in the navy and provides some entertaining color in his descriptions. I personally like his description of 17th century CPR. We debated the finer points of "fundamental ends" just the other week at a crew feast (somewhere around page 25 as I recall). Some got offended and left the table. oh well. So mission, how bout a demonstration next time out Just kidding!

[Misson]

I personally like his description of 17th century CPR. We debated the finer points of "fundamental ends" just the other week at a crew feast (somewhere around page 25 as I recall). Some got offended and left the table. oh well. So mission, how bout a demonstration next time out  Just kidding!

For those of you that squirm when you see the clyster syringe, let me just say that Teonge describes a whole new method of resuscitation carried out by what sounded to me in his description like a pretty scurrilous character. While the method makes no (medical) sense, I think the shock of having the operation performed on you would resuscitate you like nothing else!

Teonge is, er...earthy in his descriptions of things. (He must have been quite a preacher. No wonder he got so down in his finances that he had to go to sea at age 53...)