Meta: A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

It has been rather a troublesome week here at chez Pauline and, along with that, I am preparing for a licensing exam on Tuesday so just a brief post today. I wanted to share this gorgeous frigate whose picture I found over at the always engrossing Naval Architecture. The first picture today is equally as lovely and daydream inducing. Fair winds to all!

Meta: Yet More

No kidding, right? Hoppy Easter to all y'all and I do hope to be back sooner than later. Love you... seriously...

Header: "Ahoy me Bunnies" via my friend Jeff Coyle via FB

Meta: A New Adventure on the Horizon

I apologize for skipping my favorite post of the week, Sailor Mouth Saturday, today but I am short on time. I will be embarking on a new adventure starting Monday in the form of a full time, away from home job. I'm thrilled to be so fortunate; the company is an excellent one and they are offering the all-important medical benefits that my family very much needs right now. I cannot gush enough about how lucky I am.

Unfortunately, though, this will impact my ability to spend as much time on Triple P as I have in the past. While I will certainly continue this labor of love, there will be some "down time", at least for a little while. Meanwhile, though, please enjoy the archives. I will return to some form of regular posts, perhaps two or three a week, sooner rather than later. Thank you all for your support, Brethren. And now, let us pack on all sail and put her bow toward that promising horizon...

Header: Captain Kermit Sparrow, apparently, via my good mates at Under the Black Flag on FB

Booty: Pirate Treasures

My friend Elizabeth (find her here on Twitter) is exceptionally talented at digging up unique and sometimes macabre pieces for personal and home adornment. So I was far more delighted than surprised when she sent me a link to Italian jewelers Percossi Papi's exquisite collection entitled Collezione Oceano. That's right, Brethren it's fine pirate jewelry.

Of course fish and seaweeds feature in the collection, but there are beautiful pieces with an unmistakable pirate theme. Anchors, skulls, swords and perfectly sculpted galleons are featured in jewelry that is really more art than adornment.

The only drawback here is these gorgeous bobbles are probably far out of my financial reach. Makes one want to go a-plundering though...

Header: Galleon and seaweed earrings from the Percossi Papi website

Literature: A Wanderer's Song

It's my birthday, so I'm taking it easy today. Rather than speak for myself, I'll let John Masfield tell you how I feel with his beautiful poem, "The Wanderer's Song":

A wind's in the heart of me, a fire's in my heels,
I am tired of brick and stone and rumbling wagon-wheels;
I hunger for the sea's edge, limit of the land,
Where the wild old Atlantic is shouting on the sand.

Oh I'll be going, leaving the noises of the street,
To where a lifting foresail-foot is yanking at the sheet;
To a windy, tossing anchorage where yards and ketches ride,
Oh I'll be going, going, until I meet the tide.

And first I'll hear the sea-wind, the mewing of the gulls,
The clucking, sucking of the sea about the rusty hulls,
The songs at the capstan at the hooker warping out,
And then the heart of me'll know I'm there or thereabout.

Oh I am sick of brick and stone, the heart of me is sick, 
For windy green, unquiet sea, the realm of Moby Dick;
And I'll be going, going, from the roaring of the wheels,
For a wind's in the heart of me, a fire's in my heels.

Header: Cloud Bank Over a Choppy Sea by Carl Larsson c 1882 via Old Paint

Sailor Mouth Saturday: Rat/Rate

Today marks the 204th anniversary of the birth of - in my opinion - the single most influential writer America has ever produced. Wait, someone is asking; how can anyone be more influential than Stephanie Meyer and the 50 Shades of Gray which is really just Twilight fan fiction woman? Who ever you are, please move along. Anyway: Happy Birthday Mr. Edgar A. Poe!

When I think of Poe, which may be more often that is good for a healthy psyche, I generally start to dwell on the things that he is not credited with. Just one "for instance" would be the invention of the detective story. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle owes Holmes to Poe's C. Auguste Dupin. But no one ever talks about that, do they? When those type of blue-Devils take hold, I like to turn my morbid thoughts back to Poe's writing and the more familiar stuff that gives me the willies just thinking of it. Like those big, brown rats crawling all over the poor guy in "The Pit and the Pendulum." And away we go...

Rate was originally a word for tariff, at least in seafaring parlance. In the 18th century, the navies of Europe began to rate ships according, for the most part, to their size and armament. A first rate could carry 110 guns or more, a second rate between 90 and 100, a third rate from 80 to 85, a fourth rate from 60 to 74, a fifth rate 30 to 50 and a sixth rate any number including none. These last were only rated if they were commanded by a Post Captain.

A rating, on the other hand, had to do with an individual seaman's stated position in the ship's books. This included wasters, idlers, able seamen and so on up to Admiral.

One often hears of ratlines (also spoken of as ratlings) in nautical fiction. These are the small ropes that traverse the shrouds horizontally. They form the footholds of the rope ladder climbed up and down by men going into and out of the rigging. To rattle down the rigging or rattle the shrouds is to fix the ratlines parallel to the water line, an occasional task that must be undertaken for the safety of those using the ratlines. A rat's tail is the tapering end of a rope.

And so we come back around to those brown rats. As Admiral Smyth puts it:

These mischievous vermin are said to have increased after the economic expulsion of cats from our dockyards. Thus, in the petition from the ships-in-ordinary, to be allowed to go to sea, even to carry passengers, we read:

Tho' it was hemigrants or sodgers - 
Anything afore them rats,
Which now they is our only lodgers;
For well they knows, the artful dodgers,
The Board won't stand th' expense of cats.

A shame too as, after the dawn of nautical insurance, insurers would not pay for damage done by rats. Time to bring a ratting dog aboard, evidently.

A rat, too, was a sailor's word for one who turned his allegiance easily to suit his own best interests. Sounds familiar to this day.

All that said, I hope you and yours enjoy Poe's birthday. Perhaps with a reading of one of his better stories. But first stop by the dear Undine's World of Poe blog and read her tribute to the great man and his humor. You'll love it; I promise!

Header: Brown Rat by Archibald Thorburn via Movie Posters Lounge

Sailor Mouth Saturday: Day

The day has turned into the next, as will happen each day at noon when aboard us. For those here in south central Alaska, that means wind, rain, and the dreaded Chinook, or williwaw, wind. Everything will be a dangerous sheet of ice once this passes. Not to mention it hasn't gotten past the dark of dusk all day. But no one wants to here about our blue-Devil weather; let's talk about days at sea instead.

The nautical day is reckoned from noon to noon rather than midnight to midnight as it frequently is by land. The log book is turned to the next page once noon is called, and the series of watches begins anew.

Likewise, the day's work in the nautical mind differs from the perception by land. From The Sailor's Word Book:

In navigation, the reckoning or reduction of the ship's courses and distances made good during twenty-four hours, or from noon to noon, according to the rules of trigonometry, and thence ascertaining her latitude and longitude by dead-reckoning.

A very disparate thing from a task well done.

Day mates is an old term, probably originating in the Medieval period, for mess mates. When the distinction changed jibes relatively with abolition of the sub-lieutenant distinction. This position, an officer who was in charge of a group of day mates, was taken over by midshipmen who were similarly set to command a mess.

Day book is also an old term for the log book, noted earlier in this post. A journal, or diary, was referred to in some parts of Britain as a day book up until the 19th century.

Finally, the day-sky refers to the gloaming of sunrise or sunset. Something that my neck of the woods has experienced all the day long.

Here's hoping that your weather, wherever you may be, is better. Fair winds and a mug of grog to you all, until next we meet.

Header: Sunset by Julian Rix via American Gallery

History: The Battle of New Orleans

I officially have influenza which I will happily use as my excuse for lack of posting here at Triple P (you all don't need to read feverish ramblings.)

I did want to take a moment, however, to commemorate the 198th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. With any luck, I should be back later this week with more on Andrew Jackson's pirate-fueled victory over the British on Chalmette Plantation.

Header: The Battle of New Orleans by Charles H. Waterhouse via Wikipedia

Sailor Mouth Saturday: Jaw

I apologize for the lack of posting here at Triple P this week. The ravages of the flu have yet to leave me and I may just have to relent and drag myself to the doc for some meds. But I hate to miss a SMS so here's a short but I find interesting review of the word jaw at sea.

Jaw generally refers to semicircular end of a boom or gaff which presses against a ship's mast. The points of the jaw are called horns. The jaw-rope is a line or cable attached to the horns of the jaws to keep the gaff attached to the mast. Admiral Smyth notes that the line is usually finished with bull's eyes, specific types of blocks usually without a sheave, to ensure that the jaw-rope can run easily against the mast.

Along those lines, blocks with sheaves also have a jaw. This is the place in the hull of the block where the sheave turns.

Any line can be said to be long jawed if, through the strain of use, it begins to untwist and eventually breaks or otherwise fails.

Often, though, jaw when used at sea has more to do with men than equipment. A man is said to be jawing when using language generally thought of as reserved for sailors. Jaw breakers are the words we're referring to. A man who speaks this way on a regular basis is said to have brought his jawing tacks aboard us. He may also be labelled a jaw-me-down, particularly if he is prone to argue.

As an interesting if unrelated aside, javels were the "dirty, idle fellows, wandering about quays and docks" in times gone by. That would be a nice little addition to a piece of historical fiction, I think.

Happy Saturday, Brethren. I hope you feel better than me and that the winds are fair where ever you're at sea.

Header: Sunset Seascape with Boats by Franklin D. Briscoe via American Gallery

Meta: Happy New Year!

The flu decided to stop in at chez Pauline for the season. With luck, it will leave swiftly. Until then, perhaps some spotty posting for a week or so. Forgive me. I did want to take a moment to wish all the Brethren a Happy New Year and brighter times in 2013. Huzzah!

Header: Marilyn Monroe and some very happy sailors via A Harlot's Progress

Booty: And the Winner Is...

It's time at last to announce the winner of Triple P's very first giveaway! How exciting is that? A big thank you to all who participated via comments here and tweets on Twitter. Extra thanks to First Mate Timmy! for drawing the winner's name from the fishbowl.

The recipient of The Sea Rover's Practice by Benerson Little is:

Arthur Smith

Arthur's blog Calliope Street, is well worth a visit for anyone with an interest in the great city of New Orleans, past and present. Pop over and say hi if you have a moment.

Arthur: please email me at ladypfb at gmail dot com with an address to which I can send Mr. Little's wonderful book. I'm quite certain you'll enjoy it!

Happy Friday, Brethren. For those of you who are not Arthur, stay tuned. I had so much fun with this giveaway that I'm quite certain there will be many, many more.

Header: Photobooth picture of two U.S. sailors c 1945 via A Harlot's Progress - because I love y'all like Brethren

Literature: Don't Forget!

The drawing to win a copy of Benerson Little's excellent book The Sea Rover's Practice commences at 7:00 PM Alaska time. That's like seven and a half hours from now! Leave me a comment on this post or tweet about the giveaway mentioning @Paulineagain in your tweet and your name goes into the fishbowl. The lucky winning name, drawn by the First Mate, Timmy! will be announced in Friday's Booty post.

Start typing, Brethren!

Booty: Lovely Blog and Giveaway

Holy heck! Look at that up there. "One Lovely Blog." That's staggering, actually. But not surprising in its origin. My dear, dear friend Undine, whose World of Poe blog is one of my favorite corners of the web, has bestowed this award not only on Triple P but also on that little place I go to muck about with my other interests: HoodooQ. And that's one of the nicest recognitions I could ever get. Everyone likes to be told they're doing a good job, but it really means a lot more when it comes from someone you deeply admire. Thank you, Undine.

As always, there are requirements that must be met. Fair enough. I shall:

First: Include the Lovely Blog Award label in this post (done)
Second: Regale your followers with seven facts about yourself.
Third: Gift seven blogs you enjoy with the Lovely Blog Award, link to them and leave a comment so that they know about their award.
Fourth: Include these requirements (done)

Here are some things about me.

1) I'm allergic to cats. This means that cats LOVE me and will do anything in their power to get as close to me as possible. Bless them.

2) As of this writing, I have personally rescued five dogs from abusive situations. If you have the ability, I strongly urge you to donate to a local (not nationwide - they use your money to fund their administrative machine, not save animals) rescue organization or no-kill shelter. They do wonderful things for creatures that we tamed and now cannot help themselves.

3) I volunteer in my community. A lot. You should too.

4) December 26, 2012 will mark my 25th wedding anniversary. Fortunately, I'm married to the most perfect person for me. In case you're wondering, I chose the day after Christmas because French Revolutionary hero Camille Desmoulins married his true love, Lucile Duplessis, on the same day at Sacre Ceour in Paris. We've been a bit more fortunate than that tragic pair; both were guillotined during the Reign of Terror.

5) I am lucky in love and friendship.

6) My favorite holiday is Hallowe'en (sorry, Christmas).

7) Cancer can kiss my ass - 'nuff said.

Now to the good part. Here are the lovely blogs that I hope you will click over to and experience for yourself:

Aubrey/Maturin on Tumblr: This one has not been updated for a while, sad to say, but the archives are a delight for fans of Patrick O'Brian's masterpiece.

Calliope Street: Arthur's heart-felt love letter to the city of New Orleans will make you wish you were there.

History Myths Debunked: I learn something new from this wonderful site every time Mary posts. A great boon to writers of historical fact and fiction.

The Historic Seaport Blog: the site of tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. The fan photos alone will keep you coming back for more. You can also buy tickets for their regular and pirate cruises through the blog.

Homo Gastronomicus: a site I referenced in Tuesday's post. India's careful research brings 18th century cooking and eating to life miraculously.

Isis' Wardrobe: Isis is an incredibly talented artist with the needle. Her recreations of 17th and 18th century clothing are nothing short of breathtaking. Another wonderful reference for writers and artists.

Log Lines: the newly created blog of the USS Constitution Museum. Wonderful information about life aboard ship and ashore for sailors in the early U.S. Navy.

Once again, my thanks to Undine for her kindness and generosity. There's nothing new there, of course, but it is rash and ill-mannered to miss a chance to say thank you.

Finally, I've something especially for the Brethren at this Holiday Season: a give-away!

The booty up for grabs is a new, paperback copy of Benerson Little's The Sea Rover's Practice. This is an absolute must for anyone researching buccaneers/pirates and covers the century from 1630 to 1730 when West Indies piracy was in its heyday. I refer to the book constantly but was given this copy as a gift, making it a duplicate. So, just as the gift of the Lovely Blog Award was passed on to me, I want to pass this incredible book on to you. Here are the simple rules:

1) leave a comment on this post and/or tweet about the giveaway referring back to @Paulineagain so I know.

That's it - seriously. Your name will be put in a fishbowl and First Mate Timmy! will draw a winner at random on our 25th anniversary. We'll then bundle your prize off to you - perhaps with an extra treat just for the New Year - for you to enjoy all through 2013 and beyond. I'm not picky about International shipping so all are welcome.

Happy Friday ~ and bonne chance mes amis! And a Happy Birthday to that hero of the Royal Navy and the Chilean revolution: Admiral Thomas Lord Cochrane ~ Huzzah!

Booty: Get Kraken!

With these Holiday gift posts, I generally try to keep my recommendations to vendors and items that I am familiar with and/or have had contact with myself. I have not, however, recommended gifts handmade by a family member. There's a first time for everything.

Today's unusual and delightful trove of goodies comes from Brigit's Knits. This Etsy showcase is owned and operated by 15 year old entrepreneur Brigit, who also happens to be my daughter. Brigit offers a wide variety of sea creatures from the gorgeous (and completely safe to cuddle) jellyfish shown above to hermit crabs (no terrarium or feeding required) starfish and sea stars and, of course, the now infamous Kraken shown at the sidebar along with a host of others.

All of Brigit's creations are hand knit by her. They are all free of small attachments (buttons, pins, etc.) so they are perfect for very small people. Brigit has other outlets, local consignments - she is featured at Sweet Adeline's here in Anchorage - and bazaars so her creatures are circulating far and wide. Just ask Captain Swallow and the lovely QM Seika - they took their Kraken and octopus on a whirlwind tour of the Big Easy last spring. Good times.

Please pop over and browse Brigit's offerings. Shipping is free in the U.S. but she also offers international shipping at a charge. Every dime earned goes into her college fund, and that warms a pirate mother's heart as you can well imagine.

Also, feel free to pop over and "like" Brigit's Knits on Facebook.

Happy Friday, Brethren! I hope it's warm and sunny where you are and if not, well, there's always grog.

Header: A jellyfish handmade by Brigit of Brigit's Knits

Booty: Documents Fit for a Pirate

So you've a pirate or privateer in the family (lucky you) and you're looking for just the right gift to put a smile on their face this holiday season. Clearly you enjoy seeing that golden tooth of theirs gleam. Well look no further, mates because Pirate Documents has absolutely everything you could want - and more.

Need an authentic letter of marque? They've got that. From the very early days of anti-piracy legislation in the 15th century to the Civil War, PD covers it all. An example of the handsome document purchased for me by the First Mate is featured above; it's probably very similar to the one acquired by my dear Uncle Renato for his schooner Spy.

Looking for ship's articles from the Golden Age of Piracy? You'll find that, too. Or how about maritime quotes? What says serious seafaring quite like having a quote from William Bligh hanging in your cabin?

But don't stop there. For the more quirky folks on your gift giving list you might consider a marriage license circa 1800, a vampire hunting commission, a pact with the devil from 1633 or - my new personal favorite, the Code Duello of 1777 which was generally recognized in Britain and the U.S. That's good stuff.

Click over and roam around Pirate Documents' wonderful site. I can personally vouchsafe the quality of the items they offer. Enjoy, and happy Friday!

Header: United States Letter of Marque c 1812 via Pirate Documents

Booty: Being Dr. Maturin

It's that time again; the time when Triple P offers some ideas for Holiday gifts of the seafaring kind. Friday Booty, for the next couple of weeks, will be devoted to online items that you can obtain for loved ones who can't live a day without thinking of the sea. And, of course, booty...

Today's offering is all about my second favorite character from Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series: Dr. Stephen Maturin. While Jack Aubrey is my hands down favorite, the good doctor and I actually have a lot in common. We're both Irish and Latinate - his family is from the Catalan region of Spain, while mine resided just over the Pyrenees in Bordeaux. We were both raised Catholic and we both haven't a drop of English blood - or a peerage - to speak of. And, for good or ill, we both can chase a demon with the best of them.

But Maturin's somber self-indulgence doesn't suit my personality. I'll confess to believing to living in the best of all possible worlds even when things seem to have gone as far wrong as they reasonably can. Old Stephen would call me a fool, but I wouldn't take it much to heart.

Here, then, is the delightful post over at Polyvore.com concerning the good doctor. While the post is older, making some of the items no longer available, much of what you see in that appealing collage can be purchased as we speak. Note, too, that Polyvore offers not only Jack Aubrey but other literature-related collages; for instance, there is much related to Tolkein's Ring cycle. This post in particular is for those who adore Stephen. For them, any of these little necessities would be a wonderful offering for whatever winter holiday you celebrate.

For those who are as yet ignorant of the O'Brian series, you could do them the favor of that as well.

Header: Olive wood rosary beads from The Three Arches Co. via Polyvore

History: John Adams and the U.S. Navy

We will make peace with all our might and we will build up the military ~ President John Adams

In the popular mind, the memory of John Adams has been poisoned to a large degree by false remembrance. His support of - and even insistence on - the passing of the Alien and Sedition Acts has made him persona non grata among those who would embrace all comers as part of the U.S. melting pot. It's a slippery slope to trust that everyone - absolutely everyone - that comes to your country comes with a bag full of hope and good intentions. Adams knew that very well. Having traveled more than any of the other founding fathers by the time he was elected to the highest office, he knew how much other countries coveted all that America had.

Adams, however, was a visionary who understood long before Teddy Roosevelt that to "walk softly and carry a big stick" was the best strategy in the treacherous world of international politics. He knew England, France and Spain - all superpowers whose grip on the New World was slipping - wanted America back. He knew that the only way they could achieve that was to send men and arms here by ship. He knew that a strong, capably manned and well equipped Navy was the one sure way to stop that from happening.

I had planned to discuss John Adams' pioneering advocacy for the U.S. Navy and for privateering as well but there is no reason for me to reinvent the wheel. Click over to Naval History Blog to read historian David McCullough's brilliant lecture on just that subject. His focus on the importance of "the war that never was" - America's entirely nautical Quasi-War with France - is a fascinating evaluation of a time that Americans have largely chosen to forget but that was so very important to the shaping of the country and indeed the world that we know today.

The French foreign minister, the Comte de Vergennes, once said of John Adams that his "pedantry, stubbornness, and self-importance will give rise to a thousand vexations."

Adams, in reply, said simply: "Thanks to God that he gave me stubbornness when I know I am right." Spoken like a true Yankee.

Header: America by David Armstrong via American Gallery ~ U.S. citizens, get out and vote today; it matters!

Booty: A Pirate Hideaway, Mid-Century Style

While I'm no fan of "Mad Men" (sorry AMC; the only show you produce that I can't miss is "The Walking Dead"), and those Jacqueline Kennedy fashions do nothing for my broad-shouldered, 5'10" frame, I love, love, love mid-20th century architecture and decorating. That's why I am an enormous fan of Mid-Century Modern Freak on Tumblr. So when I saw this house-on-the-water over there, I felt compelled to share it with the Brethren.

The living space is pure mid-century: clean lines, open design and floor-to-ceiling windows that must make washing those drapes an unimaginable chore. But what this design by Charles Schriedde adds is an attractive nautical theme. Note the central pylon with its steps that literally take you to your own private dock where your James Bond-esque speed boat awaits. The bedroom is a main top complete with rigging, canopy and a hanging ship's lantern to set the mood. And then there's the view. I'm fairly certain this Fiddler's Green is parked squarely in the Pacific Northwest; perhaps the San Juan Islands. Click the picture to enhance all the stunning detail that was created, believe it or not, as an ad for a television.

Unfortunately, this place is pure fantasy. But a sailor can always dream.

Happy Friday, Brethren!

Header: Motorola ad from 1962 via Mid-Century Modern Freak on Tumblr

Books: A Handbook for Freebooting

While misfortune comes to us all, I am proud to say that I am fortunate in my friends. I married my best friend and have friends from high school that I still communicate with. Given how much my family moved around, that's an achievement.

The Interwebs has given me a whole new scope of friendship. I now have dear friends in all corners of the world, from Scott in far away Sydney, Australia to the good Captain and the QM in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, I know that wherever I may roam (intentional Metallica reference!) I will always have someone I care about to share a mug of grog (or a glass of champagne) and catch up with.

That good fortune includes the generous folks at The Pirate Museum in St. Augustine, Florida, U.S.A. When I was laid up after surgery, they sent me a care package that included a signed copy of Pat Croce's The Pirate Handbook. Needless to say I was overwhelmed, touched, and eager to start reading.

I'll just say that I cannot recommend this book enough. Mr. Croce hits all the high points, as would be expected, but he adds so much more information about pirates and a life on the account that it is hard to believe the book is a slim 175 pages. The entries are brief - no long chapters to bog down the fast pace at which you will doubtless be reading. Joining a pirate crew, provisioning and living aboard a ship, what to expect in the way of food and drink while at sea and life by land, just to name a few, are discussed.

Croce also gives tips and insights not generally found in this type of "how to" pirate book. I've never seen an explanation of "How to defend against a dagger" in any of the many, many books I have read. I'm fairly certain you won't either. Croce's narrative style is tight but conversational. There's nothing to get in the way of the enjoyment of learning. This book should be required high school reading, frankly.

I'm probably gushing but honestly, the book is that good. With the holidays in the offing, I highly recommend this wonderful guide as a gift to anyone you know who is interested in the history of piracy. You can order it from the museum; or at Amazon where it is also available for Kindle.

My thanks again to the wonderful folks at The Pirate Museum (follow them here on Twitter). You all made a hard time a little easier, and for that I'll always know you as mates no matter where we meet.

Literature: You Can't Fool an Old Salt

The Brethren know probably better than most that there is no way to economize when writing about the sea. If I didn't know it before, I learned it working on this blog. One slip and a good old salt is ready to pounce. And rightly so; there should be no quarter given when writing is sloppy and facts go unchecked.

That is why I found this entry in Peter H. Spectre's A Mariner's Miscellany so amusing. Having recently read some pages from an all too earnest piece of "nautical fiction" (I use quotations because the novel is actually a romance and, in all honesty, a thinly veiled piece of fan fiction to boot), I recognized the comments of Lincoln Colcord as all too true. I can tell you too, I surely empathized with his father's spot on sarcasm:

The sailor is well aware that the stalls are filled with sea books written by landlubbers. Rarely, indeed does he find a work which bears the authentic stamp of seamanship.

How vividly I recall my father's scorn at an incident in one of the novels of a famous writer of nautical fiction. He was reading the book aloud one evening, on board the bark Harvard, going up the China Sea.

The tale had arrived at the point of love-making; the scene was set on the quarterdeck of a sixteen hundred ton sailing packet. The heroine reclined on a deck-chair against the lee rail; a gentle air from the spanker wafted down upon her, for they were sailing sunny seas. The hero whispered his message; and while she listened, turning her face away, she trailed her hand idly in the water.

"Ha!" Snorted my father when he reached this passage. "That fellow had better look out for himself - she has long arms."

~ from An Instrument of the Gods by Lincoln Colcord published in 1922

Header: The Lady and the Captain by John Ward Dunsmore c 1900 via Wikipedia