Hard Tack: The Sailor's Saltine Cracker?

This weekend I decided to make some hard tack, in an effort to better understand the harsh diet that poor sailors of the 18th Century had to endure. Just one of the awful staples, though probably "wholesome" none-the-less, was hard tack. It is quite simple to make:

2 cups flour
1 cup water
pinch of salt (or use a cup of sea water if you find yourself out on the ocean!)

Combine the ingredients, knead the dough a bit, roll out thinly on a floured surface. Cut into squares or rounds. Prick with fork tines, and bake for about 25 minutes at 350o. Then let dry on a baking sheet. Actually, I rolled mine out on corn meal, just to be different. The recipe yields about two dozen.

Well, to say they are tasty would be a great lie. To say they are easy to eat...that would be another. To say they are basic food. Yes, I guess you could say that! (And they last FOREVER). I actually had a couple for breakfast this am, though I improved them with honey and some almond butter. I must say, they look nice (see below), but would I proudly serve them to friends and family? I should think not!!!

It's Friday, and the weekend and all its possibilities loom! But, before I call it a day at my desk, I am putting out a small request! I would LOVE to hear from my blog followers! Tell me what you think. Do you enjoy my posts? Would you like to read about something in particular? I would be happy to oblige!

With great thanks to those who do follow! I'd love to know who you are!

A Pox on You!

Yesterday I spoke about the surgeons at sea, their training and their pharmacuticals. I was on-line later and saw an interesting article about a English woman in the 18th Century who can be credited with helping with the eradication of small pox through vaccination!

Her name is lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who lived from 1689-1762. She was a beauty for her time, daughter of the Duke of Kingston, she was a writer, a "feminist", and a socialite. She was to be married to another, but eloped and married Lord Edward Wortley Montagu in 1712,  and had a son in 1713.
She and the child accompanied her husband to Constantinople,Turkey where he was appointed ambassador.
In December of 1715, she contracted small pox, and it ruined her good looks, leaving her without eyelashes, and a deeply pitted skin.

In Turkey, she learned Turkish, and made friends, and learned the customs. She witnessed the practice of inoculation, which she called "engrafting", the use of live smallpox virus taken from a smallpox blister from a mild case of the disease, scratched onto a well person. She had her own son inoculated with the process. Back home, in London, though she was enthusiastic about the procedure, she encountered resistance from the medical establishment because she was a woman, and because of where the procedure was being performed.

Mary was able to get some prisoners to undergo the procedure, and they lived.In 1722, King George I allowed a doctor she knew to inoculated two of his grandchildren! They lived as well. Later on, cow pox was used, but she was indeed a pioneer, and we can thank her for her effort! Shown below, in her Turkish style, which was very avant garde.

Under the Weather

For the past couple days, I've suffered the dreaded effects of lower-back pain. Things are improving, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Generally, I'm one for home/natural remedies, or waiting out the storm; I don't like taking the strong, "aleve-ing" type of pain relievers. I don't mind some "Wonder Drug" (Bayer aspirin), but most often, I carry on, trying to get some rest as I can, and keep on keepin' on.

Currrently, I am reading Rough Medicine: Surgeons at Sea in the Age of Sail by Joan Druett. It's an interesting account of life at sea for medical men during the 1700's and early 1800's. Actually, the father of modern medicine in this regard is John Woodall, who lived in the 1500's. He actually catagorized medicines (herbal to chemical), and brought the idea of surgery to an actual profession. Before that time, if you needed to be cut, you went to a barber!

But by the 18th Century, men who called themselves doctors actually had to undergo some certifiable training, actually getting a license, and serving an apprenticeship or internship in order to gain enough experience to hang a shingle, as it were. They got the designation of L.S.P. for Licensed Society of Pharmacologists, as well as M.R.C.S., Member of the Royal College of Surgeons.

A particular way to gain  medical experience was by becoming a surgeon/physician on board one of the sailing ships, i.e., whaler, man-of-war, clipper ship, etc. for a 6 month to year-long voyage. You would certainly encounter all kinds of ailments, injuries, need to dispense pharmacopia, or hack off an arm or leg for the duration. Of course, you were provided room (though cramped) and board (often hardtack, dried peas, stew of salted meat). This would which certainly was helpful for a starving medical student. You also got the opportunity to see the world! A wonderful chance to see exotic places. The area set aside for surgery was generally on the orlop deck, one above the bilge, and it was very small indeed. But, it did have a skylight!

But in reading this very informative book, I am aghast at some of the particular remedies and pharmacuticals that were being used in the 1700's. Of course, opium and laudanum were used to dull pain, set up someone for a surgical procedure, but the herbs and other "delights" are out of this world. I guess you could call ground pearls somewhat like calcium. I guess certain very dangerous and poisonous leaves and herbs like nightshade and baneberry (at left), or dropwort/hemlock (at right) could be an effective purge if used sparingly. Alot of this was trial and error. Plasters of mercury ointments were applied, and of course, there was the bleedings. I often think perhaps if they helped lower blood pressure, by loss of blood as a whole, maybe someone might feel better. Who knows? Though bleedings were for relieving the body of ill humors. I love that term.

Makes me glad I only have a backache! Ha ha!

These Plates are giving me The Blues!

My daughter is an enthusiastic collector of fine china, recently purchasing some Blue Canton (at left). We were talking about the wonderful blue Chinese porcelains, which also include the Willow Pattern. Then, I was reminded of the Willow Ware that I had, put up somewhere high in my kitchen cabinets!
I forgot how lovely they were. I have 6 dinner plates, and I should start putting them to good use.

I looked into the Willow pattern, and found they were designed by Thomas Minton around 1790, and they have been in use for over 200 years now!  Minton lived from 1765-1836, a noted English potter, founding Minton and Sons in Staffordshire in 1793, which grew into a major factory with international reputation. He mostly produced domestic tableware in blue transfer printed or painted.

By the way, the Blue Willow has an interesting marketing story, which you can see on http://dressedintime.blogspot.com! Check it out!

Porcelains from China were always in high demand in Europe, but importing them was pricey. In the 18th Century, the demand began to wane, and by the second half of the century, the trade was in serious decline. The English, as well as the new Colonists, began making their own, using designs from the Orient, with an English flare. The Colonists took the idea a step forward, using the blue along with American themes, including maritime. People were happy to purchase these exotic dining ware, at reasonable, domestic prices.

But, while production was being churned out in China, their factories were booming! Above is an interesting print that can be found in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. I visited there last Fall, and saw their wonderful exhibit (part of the permanent collection) of Asian porcelains.

This print shows the factory workers packing the plates, utilizing straw baling. In the Peabody, you can see one of the bales (about 2' long x 12" wide), left unopened, that has been x-ray'd. Inside you can see the cups and saucers stacked, one after the other. Today, I guess we would use bubble-wrap!

 

What Capability!

With the weather turning, affording bright blue, cloudless skies and moderate weather, it is time to give some thought to gardening, and planning what will be outside on my small, but pleasant, balcony this season. When the weather is mild, and refreshing, I like to take breakfast outside, listening to the birds sing, and the day begin. On these evenings, before our desert sun becomes too incredibly strong, prohibiting dining alfresco, I like to relax out there and enjoy dinner and a nice glass of red, or a good, single-malt scotch over a little pure water ice. Ahh!

Looking forward to these tranquil, simple delights, I remember the English Garden of the 18th Century, and its author, Lancelot "Capability" Brown (shown above). He was born in August 1716 and lived until 1783. He was a true landscape architect, known as "England's Greatest Gardener", his nickname coming from his fondness for speaking of a country estate as having great "capability" for improvement. He was certainly capable, indeed, and remembered for his prolific 170 count of parks, which still endure.

In 1739 he was commissioned to design a new lake for a park in Kiddington Hall, in Oxford, then he moved on to Buckinghamshire, where he joined the gardening staff at Stowe. There he married a local girl, and had the first four of his children.

He was sought after as his reputation grew for gardening excellence, and eventually, he designed for the Churchill family's gorgeous Blenheim Palace estate as well a the Chatworth House in the Peaks District, in Derbyshire. Above is shown Blenheim's lovely rose garden.

Mazes were an atractive addition to any huge estate, and in the picture above, you can see the one he designed at the Chatsworth House, that was owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. I have visited Chatsworth, and it is a site to see. I took tea in the garden there with my daughter. Sitting back, enjoying some English Breakfast, and little cakes, I fondly remember the time together there as relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable.

Brown's style of smooth undulating grass among scattered trees and serpentine lakes lends less formality, and a more natural approach to the garden, working with nature as opposed to making plants and trees conform to the space. I think that is why this style is so pleasing; it is organized, without appearing so.

World Trade Center Discovery!

With all the hub-bub about the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, I got to thinking about what 18th Century ship of note may have sunk in an unusual way. Of course, there were many, hundreds in fact, sunk in battles, but what others?

Researching a bit, I found a very interesting story!                         

In 2010, while excavating the World Trade Center site for the new building to be erected (in due time), the remnants of a 30-foot length of wood-hulled vessels was discovered about 20-30 feet below the street level! It is the first such large-scale archaological find along the Manhattan waterfront since 1982, when another 18th century cargo ship was unearthed.


This new find dates to about mid-1700's, and has not been disturbed for more than 200 years! Archaeologists hurried to the site, not only because of the importance of this discovery, but because now that the timber was exposed to the air, it could begin deteriorating immediately. Currently, pieces of pottery have been found (at left) and even a shoe (below)!

An old map from 1797 shows that the excavation site is close to Lindsey's Wharf, that projected into the Hudson River. A name is not currently known for this vessel, but it's probably only a matter of time, when records are researched indicating ships harbored in the area. Then, we might know what happened to this ship and its crew. A mystery to be uncovered!

Thank You, Paul!

You may not know this, but Paul Revere (1734-1818), noted for his famous words "The British are coming! The British are coming!" was a silversmith in the Colonies, one noted as an accomplished engraver, so he could decorate his own pieces. Note the beautiful tea pot above, crafted in 1796, it is silver and on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, in Gallery 750.
Here is the museum's description:

The elegant, restrained design of this teapot, with its bright-cut swags and ornamental bands, is entirely in keeping with the Neoclassical taste that flourished at the end of the eighteenth century. Oval teapots, either plain or fluted, were among the standard items produced in Revere's shop after the Revolutionary War. They were fashioned from sheet silver, produced with the flatting mill that Revere acquired in November of 1785. Each teapot was constructed with an overlapping seam at the handle, which was both soldered and riveted. This technique produced a very strong joint, and it was also simpler for some of the less experienced journeymen and apprentices in his shop to achieve. Teapots of this model paired handsomely with similarly designed creampots and sugar bowls, also represented in the Museum's collection.

Well, I am lucky enough to own a reproduction of it! As a matter of fact, I have the whole tea set, that was a wedding gift to me from a dear relative. I have enjoyed it over many years. It was reproduced by Lunt Silversmiths, the oldest continuously operating, family-owned silver company in the United States, originally established in 1902. I think it has a timeless design, sometimes almost a modern feel, with its straight lines. Great simplicity, and so, like all good, well-designed, understated things, it stands the test of time. Thank you, Paul!

Battle of the Saintes: The Turning of the Tide!

Today marks the British victory known as the Battle of the Saintes, off Dominica, April 12th, 1782, with Sir George Rodney (shown at left) in command of the thirty-five ships-of-the-line, defeating the French Comte de Grasse, who had thirty-three ships. The action ruined French prestige with Rodney taking five of their ships, and sinking one after eleven hours of battle. Tactics played the major factor, with a lucky shift of wind that broke the French line. The battle actually took place over 4 days, forcing the French to abandon their planned invasion of Jamaica, which was strategically placed as a point of blockade action against America. Remember, the French had sided with the Colonists.

There was some controversy regarding the action. An unusual maneuver by the British ships, never before attempted in a major battle, allowed for the French defeat. They never recovered thereafter. The credit for the maneuver was fought over among supporters of particular British naval officers. The exact truth will probably never be determined, though a thorough examination of the evidence available strongly favors that of Rodney’s captain-of-the-fleet, Sir Charles Douglas.

Below is a print of the Comte de Grasse relinquishing his sword to Rodney. Ahhh, the honor of it all!

The National Maritime Museum and Compelling Water

The National Maritime Museum (NMN) was founded in 1937 in Greenwich, England, one of the largest maritime museums in the world.  Along with the museum, one can also visit the Royal Observatory and the Greenwich Mean Time centers, located on the same property.

But, the most important museum are the maritime articfacts mostly from the 18th Century, when the Royal Navy had reached its pinnacle, utilizing incredible technology from the Enlightened Age, including sextants, astrolabes, compasses that are not only extremely accurate for the time, but also incredibly beautiful in their workmanship. This is also the age of Lord Nelson, his ship the Victory, the famous naval tall-ship battles. Of course, Nelson's uniform is there, carefully preserved. He was a giant among naval men, though physically he was rather short, and small-framed.

One of my favorite things about the National Maritime Museum is its logo! It is "water-based" in theme, and extremely elegant. But upon closer view, one realizes that it depicts a crown! A royal crown, formed as a drop of water hits the ocean's surface! The splash is the crown! I just love it!

It is designed by the London-based company called "Someone".

This leads me to WATER! What a wonderful thing it is. Nourishing, Powerful, Mysterious, Compelling! It has an attraction for us, perhaps because we are what, 90-95% water?! Perhaps its mystery is what keeps sailors going out to sea! See below some beautiful poetry about the sea. There are so many, but here I offer a few!



Mid-ocean in War-time by Joyce Kilmer

(For My Mother)

The fragile splendour of the level sea,
The moon's serene and silver-veiled face,
Make of this vessel an enchanted place
Full of white mirth and golden sorcery.
Now, for a time, shall careless laughter be
Blended with song, to lend song sweeter grace,
And the old stars, in their unending race,
Shall heed and envy young humanity.
And yet to-night, a hundred leagues away,
These waters blush a strange and awful red.
Before the moon, a cloud obscenely grey
Rises from decks that crash with flying lead.
And these stars smile their immemorial way
On waves that shroud a thousand newly dead!

 

The Ocean's Song by Victor Hugo

We walked amongst the ruins famed in story
Of Rozel-Tower,
And saw the boundless waters stretch in glory
And heave in power.

O Ocean vast! We heard thy song with wonder,
Whilst waves marked time.
"Appear, O Truth!" thou sang'st with tone of thunder,
"And shine sublime!

"The world's enslaved and hunted down by beagles,
To despots sold.
Souls of deep thinkers, soar like mighty eagles!
The Right uphold.

"Be born! arise! o'er the earth and wild waves bounding,
Peoples and suns!
Let darkness vanish; tocsins be resounding,
And flash, ye guns!

"And you who love no pomps of fog or glamour,
Who fear no shocks,
Brave foam and lightning, hurricane and clamour,--
Exiles: the rocks!"

 

 

Bach Cello Suites

Today I've had the opportunity to listen to some really beautiful music, as I've driven about in my personal mobile concert hall! Listening to the Bach Cello Suites, as performed by Yo Yo Ma, I am transported beyond the mundane, to another place entirely, elegant, peaceful, filled with richness and warmth.

I love these pieces, just the artist and his instrument, and if you listen extremely closely, you can hear him breathe, or gather breath as he begins a particular passage. You begin to understand the concentration, the effort involved, the humanity of playing an instrument and making music. It can look effortless, but it is not.

The suites are actually Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, composed during a period from 1717-1723, when Johann Sebastian Bach was employed as Kapellmeister, or choir director, for a church in Cothen, Germany. The suites contain a variety of techniques and range of emotion, but it is their intimacy that makes then endure. They appear simple, but there is fierce competition between artists regarding their interpretation. Over time they have been transcribed for various instruments, including mandolin, guitar, piano, horn, clarinet, and even ukulele!

Here's an interesting bit: The suites were not widely known until the 1900's, when Pablo Casals discovered a particular edition of them in a thrift shop in Barcelona, Spain, when Casals was 13. He began studying them, and the rest is history! He did not perform them in public until 1925, when he was 48, and he agreed to record the pieces, becoming the first to record them in their entirety. There popularity them soared!

The suites are in six movements each, having the following structure and order of movements:

Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Galanteries, and Gigue.

Personally, I love them as interpreted by Yo Yo Ma, and I have included a couple You Tubes below for your listening pleasure. The first is joyful, celebratory; the second with such pathos that you could cry. Enjoy them, and then go out and purchase the whole set. You won't be disappointed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e05vCys-0Ac

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL0YSCw5NRc

The Written Word

I read all the time! Mostly history, or if it is a worthwhile one, a historic novel. Nothing is worse than reading a trashy romance novel. I would expect you would feel cheated of your time as you turn the last page.

But, fine literature, the first-rate novel, as we know it today, is a product of the 18th Century! Of course, there were stories before, but the genre that constitutes the modern NOVEL was developed in the 1700's.
Some of the literary geniuses who wrote these enduring works include Daniel Dafoe who wrote "Robinson Crusoe" in 1719; Samuel Richardson who penned "Pamela - Virtue Rewarded" in 1740; Henry Fielding, "The Story of Tom Jones" - 1749.

The NOVEL is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre goes back to medieval times. Novels are categorized into the following types, though within these general categories, there are sub-categories:

1) The EPISTOLARY, or a story written as a diary, letters, journal entries. The hero tells the story recalling events documented. Think of "Letters of a Portugese Nun".
2) The SENTIMENTAL, generally a love story. Think of "Pride and Prejudice".
3) The HISTORY, or historic novel, where the hero is interjected into the plot of actual, historic events. Think of "Mutiny on The Bounty".
4) The GOTHIC, the tale of horror, suspense, ghosts, paranormal. "Think "Frankenstein".
5) The LIBERTINE, an anti-establishment plot, includes eroticism. Think "Dangerous Liasions"
6) the BILDUNGSROMAN, or "coming of age" story, where the reader follows a young person through a life span, or at least a period in his life. Think "Jane Eyre".

Personally, my favorite Bildungsroman is the story of Harry Potter! I love how, book by book, Harry not only grows/ages physically, but becomes the hero we all love. He is noble, brave, selfless, and he triumphs!

But back to the NOVEL in the 18th Century. Of course, morality always plays a part. If you do bad, you are paid in kind. Sometimes immediately, sometimes later on, but there is always a price to pay for bad behavior. The tragic hero can suffer personal loss, or the loss of something or someone meaningful to him. Of course, this is character-building, which is one of the purposes of these books during that time. Today, the hero gets away with alot more, and if the plot is interesting, the adventure compelling, the leading character does not always have to be moral or upstanding. Too bad, because if there is nothing to learn (except how to get what you want), these stories do not endure. Classic literature always has something deep, and compelling to say about human nature, and the human condition.

Anyway, I am about to start book #18 of the Master and Commander series. There are 21 books in all, and Patrick O'Brian is a "master" when telling the tale of the British Naval Officer and his Naturalist Companion during the Napoleonic Wars, and their adventures at sea, in battles, and on land, discovering wonders of the natural world. It is fine literature, indeed! (I gather it is a bildungsroman, with Capt. Aubrey beginning as a master and commander, and by now, attaining the rank of admiral! I look forward to seeing what new adventures Capt. Aubrey and Dr. Maturin will encounter. I have them lovingly placed on my library shelves, and always look forward to the purchase of the next installment.

These stories are not easily read. O'Brian does not dumb-down the naval terms, but with each book, you learn how to "navigate" as it were, and the relationship between the characters is priceless. Give them a whirl!  You won't be disappointed!

The Orthodox Expression of Christianity

The Orthodox Church represents one of the most beautiful, and rich expressions of Christianity. Though there are many variations in style depending on the country of origin (Greek, Russian, Serbian, Ethiopian, etc), members are fully united in faith and
in practice are slight, and in general, an Orthodox Christian can travel the globe and feel familiar with the services even if he is unfamiliar with the language spoken at a particular church.
Historically, the Roman Emperor Constantine was the first to sanction tolerance of Christians, in the year 330AD. He moved his capital to the Greek city of Byzantium and re-named itConstantine’s City, or Constantinople, and convened the first Ecumenical Council to establish what constituted the right (or orthodox) Faith and what was heresy. The Western and Eastern Church remained in communion until 1054, known as the Great Schism. The Orthodox Church has not deviated from the original Faith since the time of the Apostles, keeping the tradition alive through those times until today. Today, there are nearly 300 million Orthodox faithful.

In the 18^th Century,  Russian Orthodoxy came to North America, where a Russian church was built on Kodiak Island in Alaska, (Alaska being part of Russia until the United States bought the land), with a small group of missionaries landing on Kodiak Island, Alaska in 1794, bringing to the New World the Orthodox Faith of the Apostles. Over the next two hundred years, with the help of immigration from Europe and the Middle East, the Apostolic Faith spread throughout the North American continent.

The establishment of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Western Hemisphere came with the first Greek colonists landing in St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest city in America. The first Greek Orthodox Church was eventually built in 1864
in New Orleans, Louisiana by a small group of Greek merchants!

 

Casanova and the Art of Seduction

This morning I was looking at an interesting blog about Giacomo Casanova (2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) and his association with Herr Mozart.

Interesting stuff. Of course, Casanova, besides his fame with the ladies, was an exceptional librettist and wrote for Mozart's operas. for those who are unfamiliar, the librettist is the one who writes the words for a dramatic musical work, like an opera or musical play. He is, in effect, the screen writer, if he was working on a film.

Anyway, it is said Casanova met Mozart in Prague in 1787, that Casanova worked on the libretto for Don Giovanni, Mozart's greatest opera.Don Giovanni is perhaps Mozart's most famous operatic work, though at the time, it was not as successful as some of his other more light-hearted pieces, but it has stood the test of time for its drama, its range of musical offering, and its subject.

The subject matter, of course, deals with a compulsive Lothario not at all unlike Casanova, who supposedly bedded thousands of willing women. In his autobiography "The Story of My Life" , written later in his life, he wrote, "There is no honest woman with an uncorrupted heart whom a man is not sure of conquering by dint of gratitude. It is one of the surest and shortest means." He did not rely on alcohol as a tool for seduction. He, instead, worked on being attentive, giving small favors to soften a woman's heart. He said, "A man who makes known his love by words is a fool", but he cautions that verbal communication is essential...without speech, the pleasure of love is diminished by at least two-thirds”—but words of love must be implied, not boldly proclaimed. He also stated that mutual consent was important. He strove to be an ideal escort, being witty, helpful, a confidant, and working his way, later on, eventually into the bedroom, at a woman's bidding.

When Mozart met Giacomo, Mozart was 31; the other 62! You can imagine the young musician enthusiastically encountering this famous man, willing to work on his libretto. You can imagine the stories shared! It must have been an exciting collaboration.

If you want to see a wonderful production of Don Giovanni on DVD, check out the Paris Opera production (see below) with starring Ruggero Raimondi, Kiri Te Kanawa,John Macurdy, Edda Moser. It's filmed on location in Vicenza, Italy, with fabulous vistas of the Italian countryside. It's breathtaking.

If you want to see a charming portrayal of Casanova, check out Heath Ledger in "Casanova". It's light-hearted, with wonderful costumes, again filmed in charming environs, and Ledger is absolutely beautiful! (What a loss that he is gone now).

If you want to hear some beautiful, dramatic music from the opera, see below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWMhfKBJf2g&feature=related

Herbert von Karajan plays with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra!