Interesting Period Descriptions

[Mission]

I looked for a generic topic on battle prep and couldn't find one, so I thought I'd just create a catch all topic.

At present, I am reading Abraham Crowley's journal Crowley's Voyage Round the Globe as included in William Hacke's A collection of original voyages (1699). Crowley served with Dampier and Lionel Wafer under Bartholomew Sharp. Here, he is talking about a Dutch East Indiaman preparing for battle when the spot the ship Crowley is on. I thought the description was sort of neat.

"Most of the Men were got on shoar, but seeing a strong Ship standing in toward the Road, they instantly repaired all on board, clapping a pring upon the Cable, heaved her broad-side to us, strook out her Ports slow, and presently running out her lower tier of Guns, was ready to receive us; who, by this time, being got something too near him, and seeing so many Guns and Men [later learned to be 400 Men and 50 guns], whereas we had no more than 8 guns and 52 Men, we thought it more advisable to bear away before the Wind, the Hollander at the same time sending 10 shot after us, but all in vain, for we got presently to Sea again." (Crowley, p. 3)

I do wonder what a pring is.

[Sjöröveren]

I do wonder what a pring is.

I would wager that it's a typo of "spring". According to Chapman's Sailor"s Lexicon: "a hawser laid out to some fixed object to slew a vessel proceeding to sea." My actual sailing experience isn't sufficient to visualize this, but I understand it to mean something about being ready to sail at short notice, while still being at anchor. Perhaps bringing the vessel into the wind without actually being under sail.

[Mission]

This is sort of fun. It's from John Atkins' The Navy Surgeon, although it's not only about surgery. (For those of you weak of constitution, there is nothing remotely challenging in here. It's just some interesting details.) Atkins added a section to his original book called "Physical Observations on the Coast of Guiney." It's about a trip taken with Atkins as the ship surgeon in 1722.

First a bit related to surgery that I thought you guys might find interesting:

"...I rather impute it ["Dry Gripes, or Colica Pictonum"] to this ["large and partial Sweats"], than to any pernicious Quality in the Air, or of strong Drinks and Acids swallowed, because of any peculiar unwholsomeness in the former, would make the Mischief more general; nor does excessive Drinking, or Acids seem likely, either of Rum or Limes, because these are of universal Use with Seamen, in all Climates, without such Effect." (Atkins, p. 355)

Now some other curious details:

"First, The Condition of Careening Ships at this Island makes it unsuitable to English Constitutions, for we are put under a Necessity of building Tents, and employing half our men on Shore, for their Security, and for the Work that is wanted at them; whereby they are more at their own Wills and Disposals, than (without such a Necessity) it is proper they should ever be trusted with; being ungovernable in their Actions and Appetities pil-
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-fering from the Negroes, debauching their Wives, and excepting a very few, most irregular in their Way of Living, or their ill Behaviour towards those from whom they receive it, which is apt to stir up Anger and private Revenge; they have no other Weapon against Europeans, and perhaps may think it their Duty when injured. Revenge may be the properest Measure to reclaim an Evil-Doer; and if Men can so govern the Passion as not to exceed Justice, which may be sometimes without Sin to Fourfold or more, he chuses the suitable Method to bring an Offender to the Sense of his Guilt, and prevents himself and Friends from sharing more.

Another Cause, is the extraordinary Heat of the Sun, (now in the Zenith, more stifling and troublesome,) which the Men are forced to work in, and for a longer Time every Day, on such Occasions as Cleaning: These Heats nigh, or on the Shore at the Tents, vastly surpass those at Sea, not only on Account of the Earth's stronger Reflection, but also from surrounding Woods and Hills, that stops the Access of the Winds and refreshing Breezes.

They are still more offensive, in that the Setting Suns are succeeded with a Chilliness in the Air, filled with aqueous Vapours, which, condensing very fast by the Interruption the Hills give to their Motion, fall by the Evening at the Shore, in cold and prodigious Dews, sufficient in a few Hours to wet all the Beds through a double Tent. [A double tent?] This Alternation and Fatality of Extremes, our Troops at Carthagena, in the West-Indies, have lately experienced; laying three Nights after landing, upon their Arms, without Tents to screen off the Sun by Day, or Dews by Night.

Lastly, these alternate Heats and Dews are more hurtful to Seamen, from their Irregularities of Life: Every Day's Labour must be recruited: And this they do with Palm-Wines, plentiful on this Island and the whole Coast, although a natural Distillation from the Tree does without fermenting, [Footnote: Others say Palm Wines, and all Liquors, before they gain a Spirit, must have some preceding Fermentation. here it is of few Hours, and little Despumation. Farther North 'tis slower, and with more.] become intoxicating, in large Quantities. And what is worse, they frequently lay down in these Inebriations, exposed to the Chills and Dews of
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the Night, whence a sudden Check is given to Perspiration, at a Time it is most wanted, and consequently Fevers, more or less malignant, are brought on as their preceding Conduct has made those other afore-mentioned co-operating Causes, more or less powerful." (Atkins, p. 356-8)

[Bos'n Cross]

unfortunately im gonna have to search for where its from, but the practice of claping a spring to the anchor cable was basicaly a way to get the anchor up enough out of the water to get under way, with out actually raising it by capstan.........particularly useful for quick getaways......where ever i saw thsi actually had a diagram of how ya do it....im gonna look for the source on that and get back to yee all later........

Edited February 3, 2010 by Cross

[Mission]

Bwa-ha ha ha! This is great. If you doubted that people are people, whatever the era, here is proof. It's from The Memoirs of Pére Labat 1693-1705, translated and edited by John Eaden.

"Apart from the slave trade [in Martinique] there is a large business in ivory, wax, gold, bums, etc., etc., grass mats, parrots and monkeys. With regard to monkeys an officer of the ship told me the following story about his father, who was the principal agent in one of the companies' comptoirs.

His father had asked permission to go to France on private business. His request had been granted, and at the same time he had received an order from one of the general directors to bring home four or five monkeys, but the number had been carelessly written 4 or 500 monkeys. The agent had never received a like commission and wondered for what

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country the company could possibly desire such settlers. He had some difficulty in collecting so large a number, but eventually 330 monkeys were obtained. He shipped the monkeys in cages and boxes, and they were landed in good condition at la Rochelle, except a few that escaped and jumped overboard.

On his arrival the agent went to pay his respects to the director, and this gentleman asked him if he had been able to bring the monkeys. The poor agent trembled and replied that he had done his best, but had only been able to land 310. Picture the horror of the directer, who was so enraged that he told the agent he would be charged freight for all the monkeys over the four or five ordered. Further he vowed that he would see that the agent paid dearly for the ridicule such a cargo would inevitably attract to the company. The agent, however, had carefully preserved the director's order, and went to a lawyer, who made a true copy of the document. he then showed it to the director, who was thus convinced that the mistake was due to his own fault, and was obliged to debit himself with the value of this fine merchandise. The director was then able to give magnificent presents to all his friends and relatives." (Labat, p. 60-1)

Speaking of monkeys and parrots (I find it interesting that such value was placed upon them outside of the traditional pirate/sailor stereotypes), Labat presents this bit:

"Beside the furniture in their canoes, the Caribs also bring parrots, iguanas, chickens, pigs, pineapples, bananas and crabs to trade with us.

The Indians catch parrots by first finding a tree on which a number of parrots roost at night. When it is dark they go to this tree and light a charcoal fire under it. Next they put gum and green pimento on the fire. This gives off a thick smoke and stupefies the parrots that fall to the ground and behave just as if they were drunk. The Indians then pick up and tie their wings and legs. To bring them to their senses they pour a little water on the parrots' heads. To tame the birds the Indians do not give them any food till they are really hungry, and then feed them by hand. If the parrot bites and is savage they blow tobacco smoke on its beak, and this suffocates the bird and makes it quickly forget its bad temper. Parrots

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are thus tamed and in a very short time learn to talk." (Labat, p. 78-9)

[Mission]

Ok, this is also from Labat. Anyone who has not read this book is really missing a treat. It is wonderful and very detailed. Sally forth to your local library today. (This is definitely a library book; it costs a mint to buy.)

"[1701] Roving, the sacking of Cartagena, the loot from the Jamaica raids, and the trade which has started with the mainland since the Peace of Ryswick, has filled San Domingo with gold and silver. The settlers all gamble to excess, live very well, and vie with each other in displaying their wealth. Every one forgets who he was when he came to the island, and I could name a number of men who came out as engagés ["white slaves" or indentured servants] and were sold to buccaneers, but who are now such great seigneurs that they cannot walk a step but must always ride in their carosse and six horses. Were I to do so, however, I might hurt the feelings of many people, a thing I always try to

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avoid. I could not help smiling, however, when a man, whom I had known as a ship's cooper, came to town to buy the tools of his old trade for an engagé that he had imported. He was now so grand that he employed a man to choose the tools, and pretended to be ignorant of even what they were called.

When I was at Léogane I saw a large number of carosses and chaises, and only the small settlers rode on horseback. it is not indeed an expensive matter to keep one's coach and six horses after the initial cost, as the coachman and postilions are slaves who receive no wages, and are employed on other work when not required for the carriage. The feed of the horse also costs nothing, as they graze all year round on the savannes, and the little corn they eat is grown on the plantation. The horses too are not dear, thought they are not very handsome. They have not been hunted for their skins so are found in legions in the forests and prairies. It is easy to recognize their Spanish origin.

There is a district where the ponies are no larger than donkeys, but these are willing, tireless, far stronger than one would expect, and require very little fodder.

I saw no horses in San Domingo as big as the carriage horses in France, but they are fast and willing, and hold themselves up very well. Numbers of these horses are caught in the paths in the forest between the savannes with the lasso, and are sold very

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cheaply. One could buy a beautiful horse for five or six pieces of eight, but it costs sometimes twice as much to break them in." (Labat, p. 165-7)

[Red Cat Jenny]

Wow these are great! Thanks.. lol I like the part about the cooper..

I have such a stack of books now from my Dad's library..I'm gonna have to add this to the list

[Mission]

And now for some real life period politics! Yay!

"The island of St. Martin lies south-west of St. Bartholomew and is shared by the French and the Dutch.

When war broke out in 1702 our generals [Labat was French ] wished to remove the French colony on account of its weakness and distance from the other French islands. But the settlers were weary of changing their homes so frequently, and preferred to run the risk of remaining in their portion of the island. They renewed the old concordat with the Dutch, so that if a French ship comes to the island to trade she is welcomed and does her business in peace and security. Should a French corsair attack the Dutch, the French take up arms to defend them, and the Dutch settlers assist the French

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should they be attacked by Dutch or English ships. These settlers may be truly called wise people, and it makes one wish that their example might be followed in all the other islands, so that they might remain at peace with each other instead of taking part in the quarrels of Europe." (Labat, p. 206-7)

[Daniel]

Cool. IIRC, a similar arrangement prevailed on St. Vincent in the 1620s, with the French and the English sharing the island and cooperating, largely because they were both scared witless by the Carib natives. After the French and the English managed to cooperate in killing the Caribs off, they eventually turned on each other.

[Mission]

How can you but love an author who admits things like this?

“We set sail from Esterre on Friday, 18th February [1701]. Our barque had two cannons but only one cannon ball, and this round could not be fired, as it was used to crush the mustard we used with our cochon boucanné.” (Labat, p. 174)

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Horses and donkeys! Thank you Mission! I will have to try and get this book through our ILL program for the summer! The buccaneer thread is going very well to thanks to you. I had already begun making one of those multi-knive sheaths for PiP this year, that was a very welcome addition.

Bo

[Mission]

Well lookee what I stumbled across while trying to figure out what a word meant! Now no one has an reason not to read this if they want to. (I highly recommend it.):

The Memoirs of Pére Labat 1693-1705

Here's another fun quote that caught my eye for your amusement.

"We hove to opposite Prêcheur, where the crew went ashore to spend the last of their money according to custom, for their law does not allow filibusters to take money to sea with them, so that if they have any money in their pockets they spend it in a cabaret before they sail." (Labat, p. 232)

[Capt Thighbiter]

Thanks Mission, I am hooked now!

Not on inter-library list here, so my local library has to buy it! My tax dollars at work finally!

[Mission]

I doubt they will, since it is out of print and now goes for at least $150. If they did buy it, they'd probably put it into their special collection which means you couldn't check it out.

Use the hotlink I put in my last post and you'll find the whole thing on-line!

[Mission]

“As all the crew [of the St. Paul, leaving Marseilles] were Provencaux you may be sure that they had not forgotten the fife

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and tambourine. You know that one man plays both instruments at the same time. The tambourine is fastened to his left side and is beaten with the right hand, while the fife is held and played with the left hand. One does not have to ask Provencaux to dance, so as soon as the fife and tambourine were heard every one came on deck, and I believe that this music would have cured any invalid among our crew had there been one. While some danced, others leaped about, and we had apprentices and young sailors aboard who could make the most celebrated rope-walkers look to their laurels…” (Labat, p. 260)

[Grymm]

On Tatts n that

From one of William Dampiers travelogs (1680s)

He's describing Jeoly a 'painted' prince,(the .......... bits represent a skip forward)

He was painted all down the Breast, and behind.......... I cannot liken the Drawings to any Figures of Animals...................... full of great Variety of Lines, Florishes, Chequered Work, &c............... By the Account he gave me of the manner of doing it, I understood that the painting was done in the same manner as them Jerusalem Cross is made on Men's Arms, by pricking the Skin and rubbing in Pigment. But whereas Powder is used in making the Jerusalem Cross, those at Meangis use the Gum of a Tree, beaten to Powder, called by the English Dammar.................

So Dampier at least was au fait with 'tattooing' on Europeans in the late 17thC

And also on painted/tattooed/glazed europeans and shamelessly nicked from a post by Ed Foxe on another forum

American Weekly Mercury of March 17, 1720:

"...a North Country Man aged about 21 Years, Short Brownish Hair, Round-Faced. He has on one hand blue S.F. in blue letters and on the other hand blue Spots, and upon one arm our Saviour upon the Cross and on the other Adam and Eve, all supposed to be done in Gunpowder. He is a Saylor.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Grymm

[Mission]

You do realize Dampier brought the prince so he could show him off in England for money? It suggests to me that it was a pretty rare thing. (Alas, Dampier was so poor in England that he soon wound up selling his prized attraction to someone else so that they could show him for money. The prince apparently didn't adapt well to the food, diseases, living in England or some such and died soon after that.)

“Abundance of mosquitoes and sand-flies hindered our rest, to remedy which we digged holes in the sand, got some grass and laid it therein to to lie upon, in order to cover ourselves from the flies, which most of us did; but it being extreme cold, and firing scarce, we had little comfort.” (Dickinson, p. 20)

These folks were shipwrecked on the coast of Florida. It seems funny to me that I haven't come across more references to mosquitoes.

“About noon some fish was brought us [by the Florida Indians who captured them when they shipwrecked]: hunger was grown strong upon (us), and the quantity given was not much more than each a mouthful; which we ate. The Casseekey [cacique: basically an indian chief] ordered the master Joseph Kirle, Solomon Cresson, my wife and me, to sit upon their cabin to eat our fish; and they gave us some of their berries to eat. We tasted them, but not one amongst us could suffer them to stay in our mouths; for we could compare the taste of them to nothing else, but rotten cheese

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steeped in tobacco.” (Dickinson, p. 26-7)

Now THERE'S a flavor to contemplate and savor!

[From Jonathan Dickison's Journal or God's Protecting Providence; Being the Narrative of a journey from PORT ROYAL in JAMAICA to PHILADELPHIA August 23, 1696 to April 1, 1697.]

[Guest]

The first kind are the size of the gnats we have on summer days at home; they land one's flesh and suck blood until they are full and unable to fly. In places where they are abundant the only thing to do is to break off a branch and keep fanning it, as a cow waves her tail to chase the flies away. They torment people most in the mornings and evenings, and most vexing of all is the noise they make in one's ears, which is not to be borne. These gnats are called mosquitoes by the Spaniards, and maranguines by the French.

The Buccaneers of America by Alexander Exquemelin

<He didn't mention that they are the size of small dogs, and have been known to carry small children away...... :angry: >

[Mission]

Thanks, Patrick. Do you have the page # for that?

[Guest]

It's from Chapter Four

Fruits,Trees and Animals of Hispaniola

Page 43 in the Dover edition. (about 6 pages into the chapter)

[Mission]

Some notes on the Spaniards of Florida's food. They seem to have been very, very poorly supplied. I didn't make a note of the exact quote, but Dickinson said they had not been supplied at St. Augustine for several years.

[Edit: I happened to see it while looking at some other notes:

"The governor stated the poverty of the country unto us. The place is a garrison maintained one half by the King of Spain, the other half by the Church of Rome... And all their supply of bread, clothing and money comes from the Havana and Porto Vella [Footnote: Presumably Porto Bella]. And it is going on of three years since they have had a vessel from any place whatsoever, which makes their wants very great; all things being expended except ammunition and salt, of which they said they had enough." (Dickinson, p. 61)]

At the end is also a quote about clothing I thought some of you might find interesting. (From 1696.)

“The Spaniards had brought little provision with them, so that there was not much to spare for us; having not above a rove of corn, and a little Nova Spain bread, which was so bad

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that it was more dust and dead weevils than bread: an handful of it was an acceptable present to us. We would mix it with a little water, making it to a paste, which would eat pleasantly; but hunger was no stranger unto us; and we knew not that we should have any victuals on our journey: but our deliverance seemed to overbalance it all.” (Dickinson, p. 43-4)

“About an hour before sunset, we got to an Indian plantation (this was the first place we saw anything planted) being full of pumpion vines and some small pumpion on them but the Spaniards were too quick for us and got all before us: some of us got a few as big as one’s fist. We had a fire there, yet had not patience to dress them as they should be, but put them into the fire, roasted them and eat them. The Spaniards used a great deal of cookery with their pumpions, and the piragua [a small boat] that came last from Augustine had brought bread, corn and strung beef; but it was kept from us, except a piece of strung beef the captain of the Spaniards gave my wife [who was nursing a child] as big as a stick of sealing-wax; which we treasured up, expecting it must be harder with us when we left these people.” (Dickinson, p. 47)

"About half an hour afterwards the governor [of [st.] Augustine] sent for John Smith and me and gave us a shirt and sliders, a hat and pair of silk stockings, telling us he had no woolen clothes as yet [it was mid-November], but would have some made." (Dickinson, p. 58)

[Mission]

From The Travels and Controversies of Friar Domingo Navarrete, Volume I, Edited by J.S. Cummings:

“There is another little Creature in Mexico, which they call Zorrilo [skunk], of a hellish Nature, for when it breaks wind, it infects all the Grounds about with the Stench.” (Navarrete, p. 41)

[Daniel]

From The Travels and Controversies of Friar Domingo Navarrete, Volume I, Edited by J.S. Cummings:

“There is another little Creature in Mexico, which they call Zorrilo [skunk], of a hellish Nature, for when it breaks wind, it infects all the Grounds about with the Stench.” (Navarrete, p. 41)

That's doubly funny, becasue "Zorrillo," translated literally, means "little fox."

[Mission]

Well, this makes 40' crocodiles sound pretty plausible...

“At Guistin [in the Philippines] I saw a Tree, of which the Curat at Luban had told us, that every Leaf of it which fell to the Ground, immediately turn’d into a Mouse. Being come to the said Town with the other Companions that were upon the Mission with me, I enquir’d among the Indians concerning the truth of that Report. They avouch’d it to be soi, and added, that if any of the wild Mice came within the Shade of that Tree, they dy;d upon the spot. The Tree is beautiful to look to, and of a very fine Green. I hapning to relate this in China, Father Balat the Jesuit, said, That in some parts of the Lower Germany there were certain Trees on the Seashore, the Leaves whereof falling into the Water were converted into Ducks. I afterwards read the same in Friar Michael de Angelis [Manoel dos Anjos], and at Rome, credible Persons of that Country assured me it was true.” (Navarrete, p. 77)

[Mission]

“17. The Sea and Rivers [in the mountains in the Philippines] abound in excellent Fish. That sort is found there which is commonly call’d Piscis Mulier, or Woman-Fish, of the Bones whereof Beads of great value are made, because they have a singular virtue against Defluxions and that which has been try’d is worth much Money. The Licentiate Francis Roca, Curates of that place [Nauján], told me a very extraordinary Passage that had happen’d in his Division. An Indian going a fishing every day, found near the Water a Piscis Mulier, which they say is like a Woman from the Breasts downwards. He had

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actual Copulation with her, and continu’d this beastly Whoredom for above six Months, without missing a day. At the end of this time God mov’d his Heart to got to Confession; he did so and was commanded to go nor more to that place, which he perform’d and that abomination ceas’d. I own, that if I had not heard it my self from the Person I have nam’d, I should have doubted of it. [Footnote 1: The Dugong, a submarine elephant now rapidly becoming extinct, is possible the origin of Homer’s sirens and the mermaid legends; Columbus, for instance, was misled into taking one for a mermaid. It puzzled many travelers, though after 1565 it was known not to be a human being (A. da Silva Carvalho, Garcia d’Orta (Coimbra, 1934), 110); but even in the nineteenth century it remained a mystery to some (W.E. Retana, Aparato bibliográfico de la historia general de Filipinas (Madrid 1906), I, 151). Others refer to its ability to stop bleeding (Jerom Merolla da Sorrento, ‘Voyage to the Congo, 1682’ in Churchill, Collection, I (1704), 672; F. Colín, Labor evangélica, ed. P. Pastels (Barcelona, 1904), I, 82-3; J. J. Delgado, Historia general…de Filipinas [1753] (Manila, 1892), 912).] (Navarrete, p. 81-2)