The video above is the trailer showcasing Joe Follansbee’s recently published book called, The Fyddeye Guide to America’s Maritime History. Watch the video above and feel free to take a look at Joe’s book on Amazon (link), it looks perfect for those interested in finding maritime historical sites in their area or in the greater USA. Joe is the main blog editor over at www.fyddeye.com.
The title says it all. If you are at all interested in this war, time period, or what have you, then I highly suggest picking up Ian Toll’s book, Six Frigates. He gives an excellent, rousing account of the Quasi-War and the War of 1812. Click the title to go to the original post from the Naval History Blog.
(Original article link in title) A lead pipe found on a wreck of a Roman ship has led experts to suggest that this may be the only remaining evidence of on-board fish tanks. We do know that the Romans possessed the technology necessary for such a device to have been a reality (i.e. pump and piston mechanisms). Some researchers say that the fish tanks open up all new possibilities of trade and transport of fish from where they were caught to far-off ports. It was originally thought that fish caught at sea were eaten at the nearest harbor. This may add evidence to disprove that theory.
“It would change completely our idea of the fish market in antiquity. We thought that fish must have been eaten near the harbours where the fishing boats arrived. With this system it could be transported everywhere.”
Other researchers say that the proponents of fish tanks are too quick to disregard possible fire-fighting mechanisms. Hopefully more evidence will come to light and reveal the answers to the debate.
May 10, 1960
(Link in title) The USS Triton completes a submerged circumnavigation of the globe in only 84 days. The mission was called Operation Sandblast and was a first in history. The sub followed routes taken by Magellan, making the voyage even more historically relevant. At the time, the Triton was the largest and most expensive submarine the world had ever known.
This site was too awesome not to post (click title for link). Enjoy, and happy Scurvy Awareness Day to everyone!!
A very interesting blog post from The History Blog (click on above title for link) concerning the (now-known) microbial origins of the Black Death. Yersinia Pestis, the causative pathogen, is known to infect hosts, such as rats and fleas, and then be transmitted to humans. The three known types of plagues (i.e. bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic) were responsible for countless deaths in the European continent over a period of 400 years. The list of symptoms for each type are listed below and are relatively severe and gruesome. Each of them had a mortality rate over 75% with the most severe type, septicemic, killing nearly 100% of those it infected.
Bubonic plague
-Incubation period of 2–6 days, when the bacteria is actively replicating.
-Universally a general lack of energy
-Fever
-Headache and chills occur suddenly at the end of the incubation period
-Swelling of lymph nodes resulting in buboes, the classic sign of bubonic plague. The inguinal nodes are most frequently affected (“boubon” is Greek for “groin.”)
Septicemic plague
-Hypotension
-Hepatosplenomegaly
-Delirium
-Seizures in children
-Shock
-Universally a general lack of energy
-Fever
-Symptoms of bubonic or pneumonic plague are not always present
Pneumonic plague
-Fever
-Chills
-Cough
-Chest pain
-Dyspnea
-Hemoptysis
-Lethargy
-Hypotension
-Shock
-Symptoms of bubonic or septicemic plague are not always present
A fascinating video from BoingBoing discussing the mysterious and undeniably interesting neurological powers of cephalopods (octopuses, squids, etc.). The video is only ten minutes long, but gives a good sense of why exactly these creatures are so important to study and how they are able to pull off some of the amazing feats they are capable of. For the longer version (~30 min), go here.
US Sloop of War Hornet sinking the HMS Peacock; War of 1812
“…At the same moment another sail appeared, and proved to be HMS Peacock approaching the port. Clearing for action, Hornet quickly closed the distance and hauled up her colors. Peacock hauled up hers and at 5:25 pm the ships opened fire with full broadsides at a range of less than 20 yards. Passing each other, Peacock quickly came about only to find Hornet had maneuvered to a position close aboard on her bow, firing broadside after broadside into the British ship which was in turn unable to respond by virtue of Hornet’s position. Peacock, severely damaged, hauled down her colors at 5:39, just 14 minutes after the first shots were fired.”
The comments link might be easy to use, but it’s even easier to miss! Should anyone want to leave a comment on any post on my main blog page, just press the “n comments” link (n = however many comments that post has) which is located at the bottom of the post usually next to the date and time stamp. Insightful/not-so-insightful comments are always welcome.
Scurvy was one of the plagues of long distance travel by sailing ship, when voyages could last for months to years. During that time the crews lived on salted meat and dried root vegetables, the only things that could be kept edible without refrigeration. It was discovered empirically in the early 18th Century that drinking the juice of citrus fruits—which is high in vitamin C—would prevent this affliction, and the work of James Lind proved the curative and preventative powers of citrus fruits, especially limes, in treating this condition.
The Royal Navy promptly adopted a regulation that required all its men to drink a weekly ration of lime juice. This practice was so rigorously enforced, and became so strongly associated with British sailors, that to this day Englishmen are still known by the nickname given to them by other Navies: “Limeys.”
artist: Robert A Thom; A History of Medicine in Pictures, 1960
(Source: adventures-of-the-blackgang)
Image via Wikipedia
Picked up a few links in my browsing over the last few weeks that I thought were worth sharing. Enjoy and let me know what you think of any of the stories!
1861: Superior Naval Bureaucracy (Naval History Blog)
New York City Honors USS United States, 7 January 1813 (Naval History Blog)
The Navy and the Nation in the 1740s (NMM Collections Blog)
Dear Diary, You’ll NEVER Guess What Happened Today! (BOOKTRYST)
Vikings Navigated the Sea with Sunstone Crystals (A Blog About History)
New Website Launched Highlighting African American Maritime Heritage (Fyddeye)
“Fighting Bob” Evans at Fort Fisher (Naval History Blog)
Sir Francis Drake: Patriot or Pirate? (General-History.com)
Pride and Piracy: The Diary of Captain Bartholomew Sharpe (Old Salt Blog)
John Paul Jones and Russia (Naval History Blog)
Enjoy the links, and as always, comments welcome!
