My Poptropican's Story: Fighting Crawfish

[Busy Seagull!]

Thanks everyone for your input on whether I should start a new thread for this! Thank you, Petpet, for letting me put all the story at the beginning so that it isn't broken up!

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Fighting Crawfish:
A Story of Battling Skullduggery’s Most Dangerous Foe






Written and Edited by B.H.,
Commonly known as “Busy Seagull!”



























This story is dedicated to “Petpet,” who interested me writing this,
And to everyone on the Poptropica Secrets Crew.
~ Captain Busy Seagull! ~




























Contents

Chapter One: Crawfish’s Revenge and the New Quest
Chapter Two: The Furtive Trap of Captain Crawfish
Chapter Three: The Most Perilous Tempest
Chapter Four: The Governour and the Robbery
Chapter Five: A New Warship at Long-Last
Chapter Six: The Final Battle
Notes

Chapter One:
Crawfish’s Revenge and the New Quest

___“Ease the rudder! Steady as you go! Furl the sail!” Captain Busy Seagull! shouted out more orders as the crew made the ship ready to anchour in port. “Get out all lines!” (1)
___“Clear for running, sir!” shipmate Anchorman called.
___“Very well, let go!” With that order from Busy Seagull! the anchour splashed into the water and the ship soon came to a standstill. The gangplank was run out, and, after the ship was secured, the crew filed onto the dock. “Men, you have done well. Our archenemy has been defeated, and the Skullduggery Archipelago finally may have peace. We shall continue scouring the seas for pirates and villains, but at last our homeland is safe from the ravaging of Crawfish.”
___Cheers rose from the exuberant crew.
___“Turn over our prisoners to the fort’s garrison until the governor decides what to do with them. After that, you may return home until called again. Thank you for your good work, men!” With that, Busy Seagull! turned to find a meal at a tavern, when he was hailed by one of his friends.
___“Hey Busy! Over here!”
___Turning around, Busy Seagull! saw his friend Petpet, the owner of the Ridley Gazette. “Good day! How are you on this grand day?”
___“Doing well, of course. I want to talk to you about your recent adventure, and maybe put some of it into my newspaper. How about it?”
___“Hmmm. Well if have to talk, then let us go over to Ridley Tavern and talk about it over dinner. I haven’t eaten since this morning.”
___Thirty-five minutes later, as they were seated inside the tavern, both of them finishing their dinner with a berry tart, Petpet dug out a notebook and asked, “Okay, now can you tell me about your adventure?”
___Accordingly, Busy Seagull! pushed aside his plate, and launched into his story:

___It had been seven years since I had received my privateer’s commission (2) from our current governour, Roland that is, and had followed Gov. Ridley’s letter and map in the year of our Lord one-thousand, seven-hundred and sixty-one to destroy Captain Crawfish. Seven years of peace, reconstruction, and prosperity had rested upon the Skullduggery Archipelago of Poptropica’s Caribbean. One day, the twenty-fourth of May of 1768, after a week of ridding the waters of scurvy seadogs, I had come sailing back to Fort Ridley in my warship, the Phœnix, to find dismay, chaos, and mayhem. Crawfish had come back. He had plundered our island. He had had his vengeance. Worst of all, he kidnapped our beloved Governour Roland. The sword had been unsheathed. I had been ready to sail right out to sea again, but the citizens of Fort Ridley had stopped me from doing so. I remember what they had said as if it were just yesterday that they had said it...

___“Two days ago, Crawfish attacked, and we saw his ship. Although you sank his ship seven years ago, he has fabricated a new ship—stronger, faster, and bigger than the other,” they said. “You should see it! His guns now outnumber yours! You know his old ship was a fourth rate ship of 60 guns. Well, his new ship is a first rate, having a total of 100 guns! Your ship is only third rate with 74 guns. Yet that is not the worst news. Captain Crawfish has forty-five 42 lb. guns (3) to disable his enemies from far away, thirty-five 30 lb. guns, and fourteen carronades, each able to shoot a 68 lb ball that will shred any ship at close range! (4) His other six guns are lightweight 12 lb. guns, mounted on the deck in order to sweep the opposing enemy’s deck clear of foe. Being a bigger ship, it has more crewmembers, and if, miraculously, you were to survive long enough to grapple with him, you would be crushed like a fly! Obviously, you will need to get a better ship to survive!”
___Reluctantly, I agreed. It would not benefit anyone if I were destroyed in the first onslaught. Therefore, I decided then that I would set out the next day to begin trading in order to raise money, so that I could buy a more powerful warship and hire more crew. I sent messengers to the other islands, along with one of my gunners, each gunner to supervise an island’s garrison, and the messenger to tell the soldiery of those islands to man the forts and practice daily, in order to drive off Crawfish if he attacked. That done, I headed to the home of Mr. Perch, whose home I regularly attended for dinner before retiring to mine own. As they so often did before, his children pressed around me after diner, asking that I recount my story of how I lent my sword to the cause of defeating Captain Crawfish to them again.
___“But you’ve heard it dozens of times before,” I objected.
___“That does not matter, tell it to us again.”
___“Very well, where shall I start? With Crawfish’s raid—that is, first raid—on Fort Ridley?” I was teasing them because I already knew the answer, but I did have to get used to the fact that it was no longer Crawfish’s only attack that I was recounting. I hoped that someday I would be able to also tell of his second defeat, but I did not even know if I could defeat him a second time.
___They sat solemnly for a few moments, thinking upon the recent event, but finally answered, “No, start from the beginning…the very beginning.”
___“All right then:
___“My father was Great Seagull!, who, in his great warship, the Albatross, gave battle to the terrible Captain Tarbeard, who had ‘plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.’ (5) In fact, this sword that I carry is the very same one my father used to defeat Captain Tarbeard. It is a naval cutlass, specially designed for my Father, who was particular about details—as I am. It is made of the strongest steel, and its razour-sharp blade has never failed me yet. We were named ‘Seagull!’ because of our sea-worthy reputation of looking for our next fight against evil, just as seagulls continually look for their next meal. The exclamation mark is present in order to show our aptitude for doing so. My mother was Blue Turtle, descended from the noble Turtle family, who were noted for their wisdom, and were always teaching the community. Most of my life was uneventful: I studied the history of the archipelago and world history, math and science, language and government, although what I truly enjoyed were the swordsmanship lessons my father drilled into me. He also taught me battle tactics, how to command a ship, and to navigate, as well as everything else that is needed on shipboard, port to starboard, bow to stern, main topmast to hull. All of that was to change, however. A smallpox epidemic swept the fort, and I was one of the fortunate few who survived. My father and mother did not. Gov. Ridley also met his demise because of that epidemic. However, before my mother passed on, she placed into my possession two intricately engraved silver pistols with black walnut handles and a finely woven red sash. As she placed them into my hands, she told me,
___“‘Take care of these new pistols. Use them not for harm, but for justice. Draw them only with wisdom, for they carry not a great range, nor accuracy (6), and are not swiftly reloaded in battle. Yet, on some occasion, at close range, they may save your life when the sword is useless against another pistol. Choose well when to use them Busy Seagull!. Wear them proudly in this red sash. Its red colour will represent your valour, and since certain military officers wear the sash, it will represent also your command of your ship.’ From that point on, I was the commander of the Albatross.
___“Without my father patrolling the high seas, one fearless individual began plotting a way to gain great wealth. His name—Captain Crawfish. Working in secret at Pirate Outpost, Crawfish built his own ship. It was a fourth rate warship, but he needed not a bigger one. There were no warships to challenge him, except for my father’s. Soon Captain Crawfish was ready. He quickly set out. He wrecked destruction. Easily he took the plunder he wanted from the islands of the archipelago and left burnt homes and ruined forts in his wake.

[Busy Seagull!]

___"There was still one chance for us however. I had learnt to command a ship, and had had the chance to do so on many occasions, so I got ready to meet him in the Albatross. It was a second rate ship, carrying 30 more guns than Crawfish. Even as I planned this, Crawfish knew the threat and swiftly approached Fort Ridley. He was among us before we could stop him, sunk the Albatross, and plundered the fort and surrounding establishments. I had not even time to draw my sword before he got jubilantly away.” I then recounted how I had received my mission from the new governour, obtained the Phœnix, defeated Captain Crawfish, and brought wealth back to Fort Ridley, but you know that story well already. As I headed home afterwards, I knew the children’s heads were filled with the story, but mine was filled with more serious thoughts: thoughts of how to defeat Crawfish once again and how to save our governour; thoughts of how to wield my sword most effectively...again.
___The next day I awoke to an overcast sky, so I quickly made ready for the day and locked up my humble abode, 122 Fort Ridley, and set out determined on my quest. I believed I could reach Parrot Port before the storm broke.

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Chapter Two:
The Furtive Trap of Captain Crawfish

___Meanwhile, about an hour after I departed, Captain Crawfish created a scheme by which to entrap me.
___“Second Mate Rowley! Sound the “General Call” on ye Boatswain’s Pipe to signal the men on deck!” shouted Crawfish. Accordingly, the notes were heard to stop the men: “tw-we, tw-weeeeeeeeee-tw.” (7) The crew gathered around and Crawfish announced, “Gunner Shotser! Go with a crew of ten to send this message to Seagull!: Tell him to meet me at Parrot Port where I shall allow him to ransom this dastardly governour. Tell him I shall meet him with five of my men in front of the tower, and he is to do the same. Go now under the white flag of truce and tell him my message.”
___Shotser saluted, gathered a crew, commandeered a schooner from the island, and set out.
___Captain Crawfish turned to the rest of the men and announced, “Gather round! Gather Round! Ye must have been wondering why we have sailed to Parrot Port. Well, ye all know that our only threat is that wretched Busy Seagull!, right?!”
___His ruffian crew chorused their assent.
___“And ye know that by raiding his island we have stirred up a hornet’s nest?”
___Again they agreed.
___“Ver-r-r-ry well, I have a plan to destroy this menace! We have captured this so-claimed governour, but not, as I told the gunner, for ransom!”
___Grumbles broke out among the men, who wanted that ransom money.
___“Complain not, for he shall be the instrument of our plans. I have sent a message to him, telling him to meet me here at Parrot Port, to negotiate a ransom for this so-claimed governour. With his cowardly heart, he will be so foolish as to care enough about this governour and accept my offer. He will do anything to save this ruffian from my clutches. Haa-ha-ha-ha! We sailed behind the island so this ship cannot be seen from the port or by the negotiating party. After I have given these orders, I shall land with my little party as if all were normal. One of you shall be my spy and keep watch from the tavern. As soon as he spies the Phœnix sail into port, he will come back to the ship and lead twenty of you to shore, where you will lie in ambush near my negotiating party. After the ambush party lands, the rest of you are to sail to the mouth of the harbour and fire a gun at the Phœnix. This will be the signal, and the ambush party will join me and my men to destroy our enemy. You who are to remain on board will fire at the Phœnix and sink that horrid ship. With Seagull! and the governour gone, we shall rule the seas and the islands!”
___Shouts rang out as the spirits of the pirate crew sailed high.
___“Rowley! Sound the ‘Carry On Call!’”
___“Weeee-twww” went his pipe.

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___Two hours later, Crawfish’s envoy intercepted the Phœnix.
___‘“Second Mate Piper,” I shouted, “we have a visitour signaling us. Sound the ‘Side Call’ to alert the men so they can prepare to draw up alongside the ship!’”
___“Twww-waaee-eeeeeeeee-weeaa-twww,” called the pipe and the crew made ready to draw up alongside the schooner as it did likewise.
___“What is it that you want?” I shouted across to them.
___“We bear a message from our Captain, the illustrious Crawfish!”
___Their claim was met with angry shouts, but I quieted the crew and said, “Well, what is this message?”
___The gunner recounted the message Crawfish had told to him, and I replied that I was sailing to Parrot Port anyway and would be eager to negotiate and save the governour’s life. As the schooner sped back to Crawfish to relay the news, I warned my men, “I have never seen Crawfish deal with honesty. Be on your guard at all times, especially as the Phœnix rides in the harbour.”
___Being a heavier ship than the schooner, it took us another three hours to reach Parrot Port, instead of two, but as we arrived, we could see no sign of Crawfish. At last, one lookout espied Crawfish standing near the tower with five of his crew, but still we could not see his ship. “I like this not, he is hiding his ship somewhere, why, I cannot tell.” Again I exhorted the crew to be watchful and vigilant. Choosing five men to be part of my company, I told the keen First Mate Stanford to take command while I was away. I knew that if an emergency arose I could trust him. As I disembarked, the ‘Side Call’ was sounded, as is customary when the commander of a ship boards or disembarks.
___Only a short time had elapsed after Crawfish and I had started negotiating when I heard a ship’s gun boom and a distant splash. Immediately, blood-curdling shouts filled the air as an armed body of men rushed upon us!
___“You traitour! How dare you break the truce?! En Guarde!” I cried at Crawfish as I unsheathed my sword and nimbly cut the governour’s bonds. “Men, guard the governour and dispatch these ruffians, but as soon as you may, hurry to the Phœnix!”
___Crawfish’s five men rushed upon me, but soon found themselves wishing they had not. Then I took on Crawfish, as my men quickly beat off the ambushing party and as the roar of guns in the port began to fill our ears. Soon, only Crawfish was left, neither of us gaining the upper hand, but, as he saw that his plans were foiled on land and no one was left to fight with him, he fled to his ship in order to attempt success on the water. My men began to chase him, but I shouted, “Leave him be, we shall never catch him in time! Quick, to the ship and let us be away from here!” We were soon on board and Stanford reported to me directly.
___“Captain! The enemy has dealt comparatively little damage to the Phœnix! They must have been too complacent to practice their gunnery skills. Upon the commencement of the battle, they straddled the mouth of the harbour, not bothering to enter, for the time that would have been lost would have destroyed their element of surprise. Crawfish’s ship gave us two broadsides before we could respond. Part of our bowsprit is gone, and our sails are riddled with holes, yet otherwise our ship is hurt in no other way. We, on the other hand, have toppled all of their masts and crippled them. They cannot fire at us right now, because we have moved so that the tower on that outcrop of rocks is blocking their view of us. But look! They have gotten out their rowboats to pull the ship, and are now sitting perpendicular to the mouth of the harbour! Now we cannot pass them without receiving a death blow from their carronades!”
___“Fear not, for we shall root them out from their post,” I replied. “In their position they cannot broadside us, while we can broadside them. Fire at will!” Before long, enough damage was dealt to the bow of Crawfish’s ship that he was forced to give up his spot so that he would no longer be a sitting duck. The rowboats began to swing his ship around into a broadside position. Silencing our own guns, I gave new orders, “Check fire-check fire! Wait until they have completed their maneuver into a broadside position before firing. Collective fire on the rowboats and then the rudder on the second broadside, so that the ship will be completely crippled and unable to broadside us with its carronades at close quarters as we leave.” Seconds ticked by slowly as the men anxiously watched the enemy’s guns come into view once again. I watched for the right moment to fire on them. “Make ready the sails so we can be out of here as soon as we fire! Load! Aim!…Fire!” Our broadside was dead-on as rowboats splintered. Load! Aim!...Fire! The rudder crumbled. A few minutes before, a wind had sprung up from the gale that was gathering and the Phœnix was straining at its anchour. “Heave around! Trim the sails! Gunners! Stand by! Let’s give them a parting gift!”

[Busy Seagull!]

___As these orders were being given, Crawfish had responded with his own two broadsides, but the first one missed, and by the time of the second one, we had already turned towards the harbour’s mouth and most of the shots went around the Phœnix. One ball did find its mark, however. With a rendering of wood and a splintering crash, our mizzenmast toppled into the water. The rigging was still attached to the ship, however, and the ship began to tilt precariously. If the rigging was not cut, the fallen mast and sail would slow the ship and possibly pull it over. Springing up, my Second Mate and I drew our swords and set to work immediately. Soon the ship was speeding out of the harbour with the gale’s wind at its back. The interruption allowed the enemy to fire another broadside, but they missed, although it seemed almost as if something struck the ship. As we drew near Crawfish, our gunners took careful aim. “Fire carronades at will!,” I shouted. As each gun passed the enemy ship, a devastating report resounded. We did not stop lest Crawfish might have a chance to engage us with his smaller carronades on his deck. Finally, we were out at sea! We had escaped the trap! “Replace ammunition! Report casualties!” The crew set to work returning the ship to order.
___Looking back, I surveyed the damage we had dealt. There was an undersized hole in the hull of Crawfish’s ship, for our carronades were not heavy enough to wreck Crawfish’s thick hull, and his crew was already at work repairing it. It was then that I received the report that there were no personnel casualties, but there was a material casualty. I turned and went down to inspect our own hull. Water was leaking into the hold from a small, but jagged hole we had not noticed from above. Thankfully, it barely touched the waterline. It must have come from the last broadside Crawfish had delivered. “Man the pumps! Man the pumps!,” I shouted. As the men scurried into place, I climbed back onto the deck, where I was shocked by the sudden change in weather that had occurred. The wind was gusting. The rain was falling. The waves were rising.

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Chapter Three:
The Most Perilous Tempest

___At that moment, the first great gust of the storm buffeted the ship. Reaching for the banister and for my hat, I shouted to my Second Mate to sound the “Still Call.” An eight-second “tweeeeeeeeeeeeeee” was blown accordingly and my men stopped in their tracks. Orders were given fast and furiously now. “All hands on deck to receive new orders! Gunners! All of you will be employed at the pumps. Those of you who are not working the pumps, set up more pumps for when the storm gets worse. When you who are not pumping are done setting up the extra pumps, patch the hole as best you can. Take shifts to relieve each other at the pumps every half hour. The rest of you, that is, those who are not gunners, will work on deck, reefing the sails first. Replace the top sail on the foremast with the smallest sail we have. I wager that we will be running before the wind fast enough on that one sail as it is. (8) Second Mate Piper, sound the ‘Carry On!’”
___“Weeee-twww” was heard and the men rushed to carry out their orders. The pumps were re-manned, the sails, with difficulty, were reefed, and our smallest sail replaced the top one on the foremast.
___“Batten down the hatches! Batten them down before the sea starts washing across the deck (9)!” I yelled out as I threw my hat into my cabin. The hatches were battened just in time, for a few minutes later a mountainous wave broke over the deck and carried the remaining pieces of rope from the mizzenmast away. Much more would have been carried away if we had not prepared ourselves before the sea became so rough. Another wave swept the deck, threatening to carry me away with its power. “Brace yourselves! This is no gale! This has the makings of a hurricane!”
___It did indeed turn out to be a hurricane, and for nine hours we battled it. Still there was no sign that it might relent. We could not use our sextant (10) to measure our course, so we had to do our best by taking frequent compass readings and measures of how many knots (11) at which we were travelling. Providentially, the wind was gusting from the south, pushing us north and towards our destination of Bouffant Bay. Before we were to reach Bouffant, however, more trials were to arise.
___“Captain!” shouted a gunner who had come up to the deck, “The water coming into the hold is getting worse! A violent wave has shattered the patch of planks we had put against the hole, and we can hardly keep up with the water pouring in anymore!”
___‘“Very well, I’m coming!” I yelled back over the furious storm. We ducked into my cabin, which was the way he had come since the hatches were battened, and rushed down into the hold. Water was now pouring in, and, even though all the pumps were in action, the water was slowly gaining on the crew. “We must attempt to patch it again! There is no other way!” New planks were nailed against the hole, for the others had been badly damaged. Suddenly a monstrous wave burst the planks apart and rendered them useless as well. “We must try again!” I shouted in reply to the groans given. Another shield of planks went up, plank by plank, and sacks were swiftly stacked against it. The next mountainous wave that passed failed to conquer the sack-reinforced patch. Cheers were freely given and I returned to my post on deck.
___Finally, a lookout, swaying delicately from his lofty and slippery perch, shouted, “Land ho! I see the Bouffant Lighthouse! Its beam is sweeping across the sea ahead and just to our portside! Land Ho!”
___I was at the helm and swung the ship around towards the portside. I wished to go around the left side of the island and shelter behind it until the storm died down. If I continued on the course we were taking, we would be hurled against the island before we could make it to the other side. The island was now on our starboard side and gradually growing larger.
___“Man the chains!” (12) I called out, “We do not want to run aground, now do we?” At first, I heard “20 fathoms!” Then, “19 fathoms!…17 fathoms!…13 fathoms!…12 fathoms!” Then the measure held steady again. I knew a trench wrapped around the island, so I edged the ship closer to it. My plan was to take the trench around the island and be sheltered by the island’s cliff as I swung around, so that we could rest in a lee until the storm passed over. Abruptly I heard, “24 fathoms! … 23 fathoms!” I held my course. The trench was amply deep, but, a few feet off, it sharply came up on the starboard side to become dangerously shallow, so I did not venture closer to the cliff, not wishing to run aground and become stranded. The sea was already at high tide. If we ran aground now we would not be capable of freeing ourselves by waiting for the tide to come in, not to mention that the wind was blowing so hard and we were going so fast that the shock of running into the bottom of the sea could cause the ship to break up. We hurtled past the island, and I bore to the starboard side with all my might, aiming through the trench that I knew we were in. “Pass stopper! Make ready to drop anchour!”
___“Clear for running, sir!”
___“Very well!” The wind began to side-sweep the ship, but, before we were too close to being perpendicular to the wind and waves, we were in the lee of the island. “Let go! We will spend the rest of our time here until the wind and the sea die down!” Fourteen hours later, the storm had passed, and we made our way into the harbour.

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Chapter Four:
The Governor and the Robbery

___“Busy Seagull!, my friend! It is good to see you again!” Monsieur de Blanc, a French merchant who had settled in Bouffant Bay, announced when Governour Roland and I came to call upon him.
___Leaning in and whispering in his ear, I told him, “We are here on urgent business, would you please let us in where we may have a conversation in a less public setting?”
___“Of course, come inside!” he replied with a sudden false jollity. Once we were inside, he donned a serious nature and commented, “I saw your ship sail into harbour. It looks like your ship received a hard beating. Did you come here through that recent and most terrible storm?”
___“Aye, but that is not the cause of the most of our damage. Crawfish is on the loose again.”
___“Wha...?!”
___“Aye, he is. Five days ago from today he entered Fort Ridley’s harbour, plundered the town again, and captured our governour, who stands beside me now only because Providence has seen fit for us to escape a trap Crawfish laid for us in Parrot Port and let us rescue Governour Roland as well. Crawfish had thought to negotiate a ransom price for this worthy man here, and then slay us as we negotiated, but his plot fell though, and we made off with the governour, shot down their masts, and destroyed their rudder, before making off with comparatively little damage. I would have destroyed him there as he sat, crippled in the water, but he has a first rate warship with many heavy carronades and would have splintered the to pieces if we had engaged at close quarters. When we did pass him, the damage we did deal was small because of his thick hull.

[Busy Seagull!]

We were fortunate enough to survive the storm without further damages. I need your help now, however. As you might guess, our governour is no longer safe anywhere where Crawfish might find him. Would you take him into your care until I settle my score with Crawfish a final time? I trust you explicitly and I know that you have secret rooms where you could hide him until I come back.”
___“Indeed, good friend, as you have said, I do have secret rooms. I remember full well showing them to you when you were looking for a way to defeat Crawfish seven years ago and allowing you to store your savings for your warship in those rooms. However, if the Governour does not leave my home with you, people will notice that two men came in but only one will have gone out. How will you deal with this? You know that once that terrible seadog gets loose, his spies are everywhere.”
___“I have thought upon that, and I have a solution. If we were to leave now, but then come back after dark, then no one will know our plan. I will make sure everything is taken care of and then return to my ship before we can be discovered.”
___“Excellent! However, there is one more obstacle. I have been losing, by no means discoverable by me, much money this past year. I cannot discover the cause, for my inventory matches the bills of purchase and sale. Unfortunately, I am not able to support another mouth to feed.”
___“I will compensate you for anything you provide for Governour Roland. Here are 20 shillings in advance until I return, and another 80 shillings for your family.”
___“Indeed you are good! I only wish I could repay you!” Monsieur de Blanc exclaimed.
___“I care not for reward. Let the plan be carried out.”
___We headed out through De Blanc’s back shop, but as the Governour and I were about to leave, I noticed an apprentice hastily shove a large leather-bound book under the counter and thought I glimpsed a gilded front cover. I recognized it as De Blanc’s Record of Purchases. De Blank never entrusted his apprentices with the record book. Casually, I looked away and glanced back, but the book was on it’s shelf above the counter. I was wondering if I had imagined it all when I noticed that it lay there slightly askew. Keeping it in mind, I bought some provisions in town and headed to the ship.
After I boarded ship and while the cook was preparing dinner in the galley kitchen, I told my men not to sound the ‘Side Call’ when I left later in the night, despite the usual regulations, because I wanted the mission to be secret. I did not want a spy of Captain Crawfish knowing something was going on and discovering the governour’s new, soon-to-be hideout.
After dusk, when the night was as black as tar, Governour Roland and I disembarked and headed cautiously to the Monsieur’s home. Along our way, we were stopped by the night watch, but upon recognizing the governour and being told that the governour’s presence was a state secret and was under no circumstance to be exposed, he allowed us to pass. No other adventure came upon us before we reached our destination. Everything was taken care of, the governour seemed pleased with his new lodgings, and a schedule was established for meals to be delivered to Governour Roland. Afterwards, I pulled aside Monsieur De Blanc and spoke to him privately.“De Blanc, when I left earlier today I noticed your apprentice, Dark Water, I believe, hiding your Record of Purchases under the counter. When I looked again, it was sitting askew on the shelf.”
___He responded, “Are you sure of this? If you are indeed correct, then I think you may have found the cause of my debt!”
___“Quite certain. Let us go and look at it and see if it has been tampered with.”
___We went into the back shop, and took the book from its place on the shelf. When it was opened, it looked as if everything was in its place. Upon closer examination, however, I pointed out to De Blanc something he had been failing to notice for the past year. Many of the bills of sale were not written in his own hand! I asked him if he had made sure that the bills of sale had matched the money that was made as well as the inventory. He responded, rather angry with himself, that he had not. I then told him, “Your apprentice seems to be dealing with rogues. I believe he, or his cohorts, may have been stealing your goods at night, and then entering them into the Record of Purchases as sold in order to cover their tracks. I will wait here tonight and see if they come around.”
___“Indeed, and I will keep watch with you. Let us hide in the loft.”
___A little under two hours later, just after one in the morning, there was a clink in the door lock and the door slowly swung open. One dark figure slipped a flask into his pocket, presumably of oil to keep the door quiet. Four others slipped in behind him.
___“De Blanc,” I whispered, “do you take this rope and through that window there, go down, and make your way to the front. I will make my own way down this ladder and sneak up on the rogues. When you reach the front, swiftly fasten the door on them and I will jump out and corner them with my sword. Do not worry. I will not fight them unless I must. After you fasten the door, do you go and bring back the constable.”
___This was executed flawlessly. Suddenly the rogues started in surprise as the door slammed on them. I drew my sword and called upon them to surrender. Instead, the tallest rogue, who bore a scar across his temple, drew a pistol and laughed.
___“Do I look like one to be put off at your threats, you lout? De Blanc has hired me to take care of these extra goods. Besides, I have the advantage over you in years and practice, and readily outdistance you with my pistol. Companions, draw you daggers and surround this insolent pup,” the man scoffed.
___“You are the rogue! Aye, you are my seniour, and I would generally respect that, but you are a robber and a liar, and I doubt you have more experience, as I have commanded a warship for the last seven years. Dare not threaten me more, or you won’t live to regret it.” Remembering my mother’s words when she gave me my own pistol, I promptly drew it and aimed it carefully.
Wildly he shot at me, but the shot flew far from its mark. Before he could draw his other pistol, I lunged at him and pointed my pistol at his heart. After disarming him, I lifted my sword as I returned my pistol to its place, and took my stand against the door.“Now, if you wish to escape, you will have to go through me. Try if you dare!”
___No one lifted a finger, and at that instant the door behind me was unfastened and De Blanc came in with the constable following behind. As the robbers were led away, De Blanc thanked me for uncovering the plot, but I replied that he should wait until the trial later that morning—it was a little before two in the morning by that time—before he should thank anyone.
___The following day, the twenty-seventh of May—or later that morning I should rather say—the robbers were tried in court to discover if they were, indeed, at the heart of Monsieur De Blanc’s debt. The taller man refused to say anything. Fortunately, the frightened apprentice, who was found to be in their number, confessed everything. Learning from him that the goods that had previously been stolen were sold for money, we questioned him to find out where the money was hidden. In an attempt to lessen his sentence, he readily confessed that it was kept in a hollow tree in the alley behind the fort.
___At that point, the lawyer on the defense asked me what I was doing at De Blanc’s home after dark. I replied I had returned to De Blanc’s home for dinner after taking care of a few things on board ship, and, having a suspicion that the apprentice was stealing from my friend, I stayed after dinner to try to catch the robbers. I did not tell them, however, that I had no dinner at De Blanc’s home but on board my ship, and that Governour Roland had come with me on my second visit as well. All that information had to remain a state secret, or clues would unravel the secret I had to guard in order to preserve the governour’s life. Fortunately, the court was satisfied with my answer. After the apprentice and his cohorts were found guilty of repeated armed robbery and sentenced to time in goal (13), the constable and I went with the merchant to retrieve the wealth gained from his stolen property. Upon finding the entirety of the money in a canvas bag, the constable gave witness that the entire sum was rightfully De Blanc’s and verified De Blanc’s right to take it. There were a little over 3,250 English pounds sterling in that bag.
___“Busy Seagull, I am in your debt. You restored my fortune and I shall not forget it. Since I no longer need it, here are the shillings you provided me yesterday. Please, take 1,000 pounds and use it as seed money in order to help you raise more coin more quickly through trade. No, I will not accept any protests from you. It is yours for restoring my wealth.”
___Astounded, I thanked him and, after a hearty brunch at the merchant’s home, headed back to my ship to raise further funds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Busy Seagull!]

Chapter Five:
A New Warship at Long-Last

___Just under a month later, after trading and dodging Crawfish, I docked at Dragon Cove to have my new ship built, having raised the 70,000 English pounds that I figured I would need, including the trade-in price of the Phœnix. Heading to the shipwright’s, I detailed my plans for the Leviathan, which is the name I planned to give my new ship, for I believed that with Providence guiding me the Leviathan would be as hard to subdue as the Biblical monster of ancient times (14).
___“That is a fearsome ship you envision there, Busy Seagull!,” said the master shipwright. “I can build it for you, but it is a challenging order. How soon do you need it?”
___“With Crawfish scourging these seas, I must have it as soon as you can make it. Don’t sacrifice, however, any of the integrity of the structure in order to finish it sooner. I have seen Captain Crawfish’s new ship, and I shall need every last timber beam, without defects, in place if I am to withstand his carronades. Some time has been bought. I have alerted the garrisons of the islands, including this one, to stand ready to repel any attacks Crawfish may make. I still need it quickly though, for he is preventing the free trade of everyone except a few of the most daring captains.”
___“Very well, as I said, it is a challenging order. When we built the HMS Victory (15), that project cost over £63,000 and six years to complete. That is not the fastest we can work, however, because there were times when it was unnecessary to rush the building of the Victory. If I employ all 300 of my workers on it, and work long shifts, it might be done in about eleven month’s time. Now then, you want the hull of your planned ship to be an extra foot in thickness. Mostly because of the rush to finish the ship, but also because of the extra material, it will cost you upwards of £115,000.”
___“£115,000 and eleven months? Wow. Very well, it seems that I shall have to raise more money while you build the ship. The only ships I have bought from you thus far were ready to sail out to sea, and I didn't realize how much building a ship on the fly curtailed. If eleven months is the best you can do, then I shall not complain. Here is £1,000 in advance to seal the bargain. Do not worry about Crawfish sacking the island while you are working on the ship; I shall post a guard on the city’s watchtower, and my best gunners will secure the walls.”
___Three weeks later, I returned to Dragon Cove, having raised enough money to put me well over £120,000, including the value of the Phœnix. I am most thankful to the Golden Harbour Bank, which lent me most of the sum free of interest, because the times were so troubled that nothing mattered but to be rid of Crawfish. Thankfully, Captain Crawfish had not dared to attack Dragon Cove and destroy the work on the new ship, since my men were continuously on watch on the walls and the watchtower. All that was left was to wait for the ship to be finished. While waiting, I had plenty of time to write each day’s events in the logbook. Of course, I had filled it with numerous entries during our voyages, but now I wrote in it simply to while away the time. Here are a few selected entries...

14 July, 1768:
___Returned from raising money for the Leviathan and found the skeleton of the ship half completed. Inspected the heartwood yellow pine lumber (16) and found it of excellent quality and well seasoned. It is, of course, still far from being complete. I have hired more trusty crewmen to man my new ship, as it will be much bigger and will require a larger crew. Tomorrow I shall start training them and shall begin the gunners’ practice.

15 July, 1768:
___Started both the training and gunnery practice. Within half an hour, some disgruntled citizens came to the harbour to complain that I was making too much noise. I explained it was the only way that my gunners would ever attain the skill to defeat Crawfish and prevent Crawfish from plundering them next. Only half-satisfied, they left me.

28 July, 1768:
___Little time to write! Captain Crawfish’s ship was spotted at 7:34 this evening. Everyone is holding their breaths as to what he shall do and are preparing the fort in order to defend the island.

29 July, 1768:
___Crawfish attempted to storm the fort. Coming close, he turned and let loose a broadside in order to begin a barrage that would crumble the walls. Before he could continue, we opened our own fire upon him, shattered his mainmast, grazed his rudder, and riddled his sails with holes. Not daring further adventure, he turned and sailed off to repair the damage we had inflicted. The tension inside the fort has dissolved and confidence has risen. Now, we do not think that we can keep him at bay and protect the building of the Leviathan—we know we can.

30 July, 1768:
___The disgruntled citizens returned. They argued that the practice had already paid off in that my crew had been able to drive off Crawfish. I responded that defending a fort is much different than defending a ship. Still they were not satisfied, so I deafened their ears with three broadsides. Upon their questioning me why I did that, I replied that the interval in-between the broadsides was 55 seconds. In order to defeat Crawfish, who, doubtlessly, was also training his crew, I had to get the interval down to 45 seconds maximum and retain it. They left me alone.

2 August, 1768:
___Today my good friend Icy Lightling came to see the progress on the Leviathan. I gave him a tour of the Phœnix, then we examined the skeleton of the Leviathan together. The skeleton framework is now complete. Its hull is laid and the decks and cabins are framed. The first layer of planks is being applied to the hull. As he is our special guest, I stopped in town to buy some foodstuffs for a hearty English supper. Over a supper that included fried chicken (17), broiled salmon, and crabcakes, I related the adventures I had had thus far. Finishing with macaroons and apple tart—no iced cream to be had in this hot climate (18)—Icy Lightling told me the latest that was occuring in Britain’s thirteen colonies. I was aware of the previous happenings with the Stamp Act in 1765, the Declaratory Act in 1766, and then the Townshend Duties this previous year. I was also aware of the rising temper of such individuals as Patrick Henry, who gave a grand speech in ’65 ending with his lines about Cæsar, Charles I, and King George III. However, from what Icy Lightling was telling me, it seems not much has happened since the Townshend Duties of June last year. Perhaps Britain and the American colonies of the mainland will be reconciled? (19)

12 August, 1768:
___Work is progressing. Returned from visiting Monsieur De Blanc (actually, I visited the governour, to whom De Blanc is giving sanctuary to, in order to get a permit to request armament form England).

13 August, 1768:
___I have sent an order to England for (20) fifty 42 lb. guns, fourteen 24 pounders, ten 12 pounders, and ten 6 pounders, as well as sixteen 68 lb. carronades, six 32 lb. carronades, four 18 pound carronades for my ships armament, and 1,000 flintlock muskets with bayonets, along with the note signed by the governour. I do not expect to hear back until spring, as voyage is dangerous in the winter.

23 August, 1768:
___Icy Lightling returned with the news that a Boston Non-Importation Act was passed on the first of this month. If I were in the mainland colonies, this would be ill news indeed, for that would mean I would have quite the difficulty in importing the armament from Britain as planned. Fortunately, I am in the Caribbean, and I may continue as usual.

26 December, 1768:
___Well, the Christmas tide is here! We fired the Christmas guns early yesterday morning, surprising the inhabitants. (21) Apparently, the firing of the Christmas guns is not a yearly custom in Dragon Cove. Well, Twelfth Night is being celebrated now (22). I have ordered rations of eggnog to be given to the workers, and the master builder is giving them extra rations of rum. This is as much as we can do for them, because the need of having the ship as soon as I can prevents me from giving them the holidays off. They seem well satisfied, however.

13 January, 1769:
___Huzzah! (23) The ship is almost complete! All that is left for the framework is to finish laying the main deck. Work has begun on making the decourations and embellishments. I would sail without decourations, but part of defeating an enemy is though awe. If I can awe Crawfish and his crew, it would lower their morale, and they will not perform as well if they think they are fighting a losing battle, as they will be. Afterwards it will be a matter of painting, tarring, and finally the decourations will be attached. I have given orders to put off the finishing touches on the inside of my cabin until we return from defeating Crawfish, as I hope and pray we will. Besides, it is winter right now, and it is dangerous to sail, much less fight, in the winter. Additionally, I am still waiting to receive my order for the armament. No use fighting without arms.

[Busy Seagull!]

03 May, 1769:
___My order of guns has arrived. Immediately upon their arrival, they were placed into position on board the ship. The ship is being tarred and painted, and should be ready for the decourations and gold and silver leaf in a few days. The crew is quite proficient now, and the gunners are performing flawlessly. I have been training them on the Phœnix, as the master shipwright agreed to let me keep it until the Leviathan was completed. I shall have to let the crew get used to the larger Leviathan, but otherwise, all is well.

27 May, 1769:
___Finishing touches on the decourations are being completed, in order to awe Crawfish when we meet. Final touches of gold leaf are being laid; brass is being shined; decks are being cleaned. The figurehead (24) has been attached to the prow of the ship. We are preparing for departure. I am impatient waiting for the finishing touches to be completed. If only I did not have to wait for them!

09 June, 1769:
___Huzzah! Huzzah! The ship is finished! I have traded in the Phœnix and paid the difference for the Leviathan. Now that I have a new warship at long last, I shall set out to find Captain Crawfish and rid our waters of him for good.

12 June, 1769:
___It is mid-afternoon, and we have sighted Crawfish off Fort Ridley. The fort’s garrison is trying desperately to fend him off. He has a couple fireships (25) with him. I suppose he knew that I was to be in the area and decided to use them against me should I show up. Well, my crew and I have shown up. To the attack!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Six:
The Final Battle

___I settled with a surprise attack. We made a slight detour to the opposite side of the island, where the high cliffs of the island hid us from Crawfish’s view. Before charging into conflict, I gave orders to my crew, “Stations! All stations report when manned and ready!”
___“Manned and ready!”
___“Very well, action starboard! Collective fire at the masts of Crawfish’s flagship! (26) Stand by! Heave round!” At the latter order, the anchour was hoisted and the ship sprang forward. Soon we were rounding the corner and Crawfish’s ship came back into view. A few moments later I shouted, “Commence firing-commence firing!” A broadside roared from our starboard side and the masts of Captain Crawfish’s ship came tumbling down. “Huzzah! Fire continuous! A steady roar issued forth, eating Crawfish’s planks and the surrounding water. At that moment, however, we received the broadside that Crawfish presented us. Thankfully, the Leviathan was well constructed and the projectiles fell into the water after dealing minimal damage. Not daunted, Crawfish set his carnivorous fireships upon us. Like a pair monsters released from captivity, they bore upon us with speed and vigour. A few well-placed shots disabled one, but the other fireship evaded all attempts to stop it. “Check fire-check fire! Repel fireship attack!” Hastily, the gunners grabbed water buckets for the fire engine (27) and snatched anything sharp that came handy in order to cut the grappling lines of the fireship, in case the fireship should succeed in grappling the Leviathan. Meanwhile, the sailours swung the Leviathan hard to port, in order to dodge the fireship. Still the fireship bore upon us. Its crew grappled us and lit the ship upon their escape. Setting to work, my men cut the ropes that held the fireship fast to our side. Soon, it floated away, flaming in angry defeat. It had started to serve its purpose, however, for it succeeded in catching part of the starboard side on fire. “Douse the flames before it gets out of control!” I shouted. Without a moments delay, the hose from the fire engine was brought forward. Meanwhile, the other fire-breathing dragon, which had been set alight and set to the whim of the current, was almost upon us. Again we dodged, and that fireship floated away in defeat as well. However, the crew was still battling the flames. “Pump faster! Try to get more water on the fire!” Several minutes later, the fire was finally put out. “Resume stations! Stand by!”
___Straightening our course again, we drew closer to Crawfish. He had not been idle during this time, but had been firing at my ship. Providence favoured our ship’s thick sides, however, and protected us against any serious damage. As we neared Crawfish, I called out on a speaking trumpet, “You have no masts and no more fireships, will you surrender yet?”
___Surrender is the last thing on my mind, my dear archenemy!” Crawfish taunted.
___“Very well, oh friend of mine...not!” Then to the gunners I shouted, “Resume fire-resume fire!” We broadsided each other for several minutes. Again Crawfish could do little against the sturdy hull of the Leviathan. On our side, however, we managed to deal slightly more damage, although his hull was fairly tough as well. Neither ship’s hulls completely gave way to the tremendous fire from the carronades that were now employed. At last we managed to blast away his rudder, but we could do no more than that. Still Crawfish would not give up.
___“Check fire-check fire! Prepare the grapnels! Load all guns and carronades in the forecastle and quarterdeck to sweep Crawfish’s deck!” The Leviathan was taller than Crawfish’s ship, thus we were able to sweep his upper decks effectively, while he was powerless to counter the attack. I had kept the height of Crawfish’s ship in mind while the Leviathan was being built for this very reason. “Cast the grapnels!” Smoothly the grapnels caught hold of the enemy ship. “Fire!” A volley from the Leviathan created instant chaos on board Crawfish’s ship. “Load!” The crew had snatched up their weapons: the main crew snatched up pole axes and cutlasses, while the gunners took the front, standing in formation with their loaded flintlock muskets. “Fire!” Another volley from the guns still occupied by the remaining gunners disrupted the formation that Crawfish was assembling. “Present...firelocks! Make ready! Aim! Fire!” (28) Crawfish’s front line staggered back and I took the head of the line of gunners as I drew my sword. “Fix...bayonets! March-March!” The crew lively stepped forward in double time. “Charge bayonets! Drive these scallywags all the way to Pirate Outpost!”
___A hearty “Huzzah!” rang out from the gunners as they brought down their bayonets to eye level, a tradition I believe is meant to strike fear into the hearts of the enemy, for even when only fifty men armed with bayonets shout “Huzzah!” together, it can be quite awe-inspiring. There were several hundred on board the Leviathan.
___As the gunners sprang forward like a tidal wave breaking over the shore, Crawfish’s men fell back, then took their stand. Determined, I fought my way to Captain Crawfish, and, when I found him, I shouted, “Surrender now, or you will regret your obstinateness!”
___“Never! I shall defeat you yet!”
___“That is what you think! En Guarde!” With that, we closed in and fought animatedly, absorbed in our struggle and half-oblivious to what was going on around us. Meanwhile, the crews of the two ships were fighting an almost even battle. Although the preparatory volleys from the Leviathan had thinned Crawfish’s men, they were still aptly numerous enough to hold their own. However, they were fighting with cutlasses. The gunners from my crew had a longer reach with their muskets and the attached bayonets. After several minutes of fighting, the lines of opposing men were mingled, and, in the fighting that ensued, everyone was fending for himself. At that moment, the main crew poured over the side of the Leviathan to join in the combat and reinforce our side. Twelve minutes later, it was all over. Crawfish’s men had been driven into the forecastle to become prisoners, and I had managed to knock Crawfish’s sword out of his hand and forced him to surrender. Finally, after a year had passed, the sword was returned to its sheath. Crawfish had surrendered. “Replace Ammunition! Report casualties!” We looked for, and took care of, those situations that called for immediate attention, both those of the two crews and those of the Leviathan. However, the Leviathan had sustained no serious damage. After that was done, we returned to this port with his ship in tow, as you know, and that is when you found me.

___With that, Busy Seagull! finished his story and looked at Petpet. “Is there anything else you want me to say?”
___“No, thank you, that will be amply sufficient for my newspaper. Oh, and the governour wants to see you.”
___“Governour Roland? But...I thought he was at Monsieur De Blanc’s home?”
___“He got tired of waiting in hiding. That is why Crawfish came to attack us. Captain Crawfish had heard that Roland was back on our island from his spies.”
___“Oh. Very well, I must be off then.”
___“All right, I will see you later.”
___Upon my arrival at the governour’s mansion, Governour Roland greeted me in person and congratulated me on my defeat of Crawfish.
___“Well, I guess you preferred the smelly hold of Crawfish to the secret room of Monsieur De Blanc, aye, governour? You might have been captured if the garrison had not held out so long.”

[Busy Seagull!]

___“Oh. ..I guess I just could not stand staying hidden for so long.”
___“Very well. But why did you want to see me, Governour Roland?” I asked.
___“Simply to give you this. You have been fighting Crawfish for a whole year, and now you have defeated him for the second time. Therefore, I am presenting this to you.” He handed me a gold medallion, on which was inscribed, “Custos Insularum Crebrarum Skullduggeræ,” which means: “Guardian of the Skullduggery Archipelago.”

The End
Or is it?

Notes

(1) Most of the commands and orders come from this site: Manual of Commands and Orders 1945 (Last Accessed December 29, 2011)
Although I am not sure whether all the commands I have chosen go back to the 18th century, I have done my best to keep them accurate to the period. For the meanings of these and other orders, please follow the link.


(2) When a captain who owned an armed ship, or will own one, received a privateering commission, the government was allowing him to attack enemy ships. This was used especially in times of war. They received their pay from booty and not by the government. Many privateers violated their commission and became indistinguishable from pirates, who had no legal permission, but here, that is not the case.
privateer (ship) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)


(3) Cannons, guns, and carronades in the 18th century are named for a certain weight, not their own weight, but the weight of the projectile it could fire. Thus, a 42 lb gun does not weigh 42lb itself, but fires a 42lb ball. The gun/cannon/carronade could easily weigh more than a ton. Different cannons were needed for different sized shot, just as firearms today come in different calibers. Note that on the battlefield, field artillery usually shot 3 and 6 lb shot, although there were sizes in-between and could even go up to 20-24 lbs. At about 20-24 lbs, however, cannons started being called siege cannons. On ship, equally light guns could be used, but higher rated ships carried more and usually heavier guns.
Weapons of the American Revolution - Artillery (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)


(4) Carronades were different from the ship’s guns (cannons on ship being called guns, not cannons, by the way). A carronade was a relatively small gun, but had a large bore. Thus, while being smaller than a cannon, it was stouter and could fire a much heavier ball. The ball in a carronade fit more loosely than in a cannon or gun and was used with less of a charge of powder. Carronades were used at close range, and the slow-moving, oversized projectile would smash into the enemy ship’s hull, causing enormous splinters to enter the ship. These giant splinters of wood were equally as mortal to the gunners as a canister of grapeshot (i.e. a canister filled with smaller projectiles that would break apart or explode after being shot from a cannon). The ball itself might not enter the ship because of its low velocity but fall into the water after leaving a gaping hole behind.
HMS-Victory - Home (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)


(5) A line in the Declaration of Independence referring to King George III’s tyranny and the reasons why the Patriots wanted to separate from Great Britain (note that the Busy Seagull! would not have known he was “quoting” the Declaration of Independence in 1768).
Declaration of Independence (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)


(6) 18th century pistols were known to be horribly inaccurate. One example is duels, which were used by gentlemen to defend their honor, and were often fought with pistols. The men usually would not fire at the same time, but take turns. The first man to be shot at would often survive though, because of the pistol’s inaccuracy. If a duel was to the death, many rounds could be shot before someone was hit, although that wasn’t necessarily the case. 18th century pistols did not have the precision of colt revolvers.
http://podcasts.history.org/082409/H...FamousDuel.cfm (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)


(7) See Boatswain Calls - The Free Information Society (Last Accessed October 26, 2011) for details on the Boatswain’s Pipe (Also called Boatswain’s Call and Bowsun’s Whistle) and the calls used on it.


(8) Leaving too much sail unreefed in a storm may tear the sails, or a side wind might blow the ship over. Here reefing is done in the midst of a gale when reefing should be done at port and later unreefed if the storm condition dissolve, since it is many times harder to reef a sail while a strong wind blows than when the wind is quiet. However, the crew needed full sail to escape from Crawfish’s trap and that is why the sail were not reefed while conditions were good. They are not, though, waiting any longer to reef.
Weather and Reefing the sails (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)


(9) To batten down a hatch is to put a tarp (tarpaulin) on top of each hatch (which could be open or covered with a wooden grating) and secure it from blowing away with ‘battens,’ or strips of wood.
Batten down the hatches (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)


(10) See How to use a Sextant (Last Accessed October 26, 2011) for more details on sextants.


(11) [This is my longest note. If it is too much for you or too confusing, please skip down to the links at the bottom of this note.] So why is the word ‘knot’ used for nautical travel? Well, first you need to know that the way speed was measured from a ship before the days of GPS tracking devices was that a rope would be thrown over the side of the ship that was knotted at regular intervals. The number of knots that went by in a certain amount of time were counted, and the speed was thus determined. But what was this measurement? Now the idea of a nautical mile must be established. Imagine taking a saw (a huge one) and sawing the earth in half through the equator so that you have the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Take the Northern Hemisphere (or the Southern, it does not matter which) and turn it upside down so that you see a big circle. Pretend you are cutting a pie and divide that circle into 360 pieces, or ‘degrees.’ Each degree is further divided into 60 slices, called ‘minutes,’ to correspond to the 60 minutes in an hour. Well the length across one of those ‘minutes’ equals about one nautical mile. In other words, one nautical mile equals 1/60th of one degree of the earth. Now, if you divide the earth north to south, the distance will be slightly different since the poles of the earth are a bit flattened. Therefore, the average of north to south minutes and of east to west minutes results in the exact measurement of one nautical mile, or 1.15 miles. This is the nautical measurement for distance, so speed on the sea is __ nautical mile(s) per hour. Therefore, a rope could be knotted once every nautical mile and, seeing how many knots went by in an hour, the speed would not even need to be calculated. (Ex. 25 knots go by in an hour, speed = 25 knots per hour.)

[Busy Seagull!]

This presented a problem. This would require a rope many miles long. After some calculation, it was discovered that if the knots were made at every 50 feet, and a half-minute hourglass used, then if 25 knots go by in one-half minute, the speed is still 25 knots per hour. In case you are remotely interested, as recommended by How do sea navigators measure their ships speed? (where I got this information, Last Accessed October 26, 2011), I created a simple calculation to prove that a rope knotted every 50 ft and timed with a half-minute hourglass gives the same reading as a rope knotted once every nautical mile and timed with an hour-long hourglass. (By the way, when the site shows the number of feet in a nautical mile, it turns out that the 7 and the 6 at the end of the number were accidentally switched. You can check it yourself, but yes, I actually do have the correct measurement in my calculation.) Here’s the calculation:
6076ft__=__6076ft__=__50.31… ft
.3600s_____120.76____.29.81… s
.__________3600s
__________120.76
Round off to 50ft per 30s. (The word ‘per’ is equal to saying ‘divided by.’)
Ok, this is what I did: First, I converted one nautical mile to feet and one hour into seconds. Then to figure what number to divide by, I divided the feet by the result I wanted and the seconds by the result I wanted. Averaging the results (120 and 121.52) I got 120.76. This gave me the most precise answer, so that when I went to use that number to divide with I got the 2 closest numbers to 50ft/30sec: 50.31467373… and 29.81119576…. For you poptropicans, it may be a while before you get to significant figures, but you will learn that there are too many digits in those two numbers, so I rounded them down to 50.31 and 29.81 to get the answer. Rounding this further to the one’s place, we learn that 1 nautical mile/hour (or 6076ft/3600s) is equal to 50ft/30s.
According to Nathaniel Bowditch (a 20th century mathematician, sailor, and captain) the official US Navy measure in 1917 was actually 48 feet long (8 fathoms) measured by a 28 sec hourglass. The same process I used to prove the other measurement can be used to check this one. Again, this information comes directly from:
How do sea navigators measure their ships speed?. (Last Accessed November 17, 2011) (I am mainly re-writing it because I have done the calculation as suggested, and a calculation by itself seems overly out of place.)
A great book about Nathaniel Bowditch is Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean L. Latham: Amazon.com: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (9780618250745): Jean Lee Latham: Books (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)


(12) Sounding Line has good information on how soundings were made. (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)


(13) The word “goal” is the 18th century word for “jail,” and is pronounced the same way as “jail.”


(14) See the Book of Job, chapter 41.
Job 41 NIV - Can you pull in Leviathan with a - Bible Gateway (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)


(15) The HMS Victory was a first-rate warship, built in 1759, and was one of the best of her class. After the time frame for this story, she served in the Napoleonic Wars and became one of the most famous warships in history. She was actually built at the Chatham Dockyard, in Kent, England. See HMS-Victory - Home for more details. (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)


(16) Heartwood pine used to be used extensively in building projects, because it is exceptionally dense and thus durable and has extremely straight grain. This is because the heartwood of a pine tree grows extraordinarily slowly. Also, it is filled with resinous sap which makes it weatherproof and waterproof. Heartwood pine cannot be stained because of this sap, which contains turpentine, and the tapping of the tree for turpentine has been one of its many uses. However, due to its extensive use, it only grows now in protected areas, and the price of heartwood pine is much more expensive than most lumber.
History of Heart Pine - Goodwin Heart Pine (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)
What is heart pine? (Last Accessed November 17, 2011)
To season wood is to let it sit in a dry place after being cut. This dries the wood out and stabilizes the wood so that the builder can look at it and see how much it has and in what direction it has warped and then work with it from there. It also gives the wood time to crack and be rendered useless before being used and not after. The lumber from the HMS Victory was seasoned for about 14 years before it was used. HMS-Victory - Home (Last Accessed November 17, 2011) This wood was outstandingly seasoned, but that is an extreme example of seasoning wood.


(17) Note this fried chicken is pan-fried. Food could also be deep-fried in the 18th century by putting lard in a pot and melting it until it is hot enough to fry with—much as home cooks or anyone who doesn’t have a deep fryer apparatus might do today. Butter was commonly used for pan-frying, and lard was/is commonly used for deep-frying. Olive oil was certainly available, but it is not the best frying oil, and there was less concern for low fat options in the 18th century.


(18) Being able to make ice cream depended solely on how much ice was left over from the last winter. Since Busy Seagull! is in the Caribbean, and since there were no freezers in the 18th Century, there would probably be no ice from the last Caribbean winter to make ice cream with. “Iced cream” was not necessarily a desert in the 18th century, but could easily be a side dish to go with the main meal.


(19) Revolutionary War Timeline (Last accessed December 14, 2011) Icy Lightning does not know that on the previous day, the Boston Non-Importation Agreement was passed, because the news will take some time (probably at least two weeks) to travel down through the colonies before it can finally cross into the Caribbean. For England, the news will probably be at very least a month old by the time Parliament receives the news.)


(20) Please forgive my statistical inclinations.


(21) See the link for information on the firing of the Christmas guns. Calendar : The official site of Colonial Williamsburg (Last Accessed December 21, 2011.)


(22) See the link for information on Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night - The Holiday Time Forgot (Last Accessed December 21, 2011)


(23) The 18th century form of hurray, pronounced as “hə za’a.”


(24) For more on figureheads, see: Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea™ : Figureheads Exhibit (Last Accessed December 29, 2011)


(25) Fireships were ships (wooden, as were all ships at the time) that were loaded with combustibles and perhaps covered all over with pitch. A small crew would man the ship, and guide it toward its target. Once sufficiently near the target, the crew would light the ship, dive over board and try to reach the mother ship. The crew might even venture so near as to grapple with their target before lighting the fire ship. Obviously, the fireship was limited to a one-time use.


(26) Usually, a flagship is the ship the commander of several ships is on, as he gives signals to the other ships using flags. Crawfish also has the two fireships, so that is why I made the distinction.


(27) Follow the link to see an 18th century fire engine. Richard Newsham's Fire Engine : The official site of Colonial Williamsburg (Last Accessed December 30, 2011). Water was poured from buckets into a reservoir, and was pumped up to the nozzle by the two-ended handle bar in the middle of the engine. I assume the same, or similar, kind of engine was used at sea. The mechanism would be the same, at least, although from the description of the HMS Victory website (see link above, note 15), it sounds like it had the addition of a hose in order to be able to put out a fire in any part of the ship.


(28) Commands relating to marching and using the flintlocks come from Baron von Steuben’s Revolutionary War Drill Manual. Amazon.com: Baron Von Steuben's Revolutionary War Drill Manual: A Facsimile Reprint of the 1794 Edition (Dover Military History, Weapons, Armor) (9780486249346): Frederick William Baron von Steuben: Books (Last Accessed December 30, 2011)

[petpet123]

That's a lot of reading to do. I promise to check it out when I'm bored. Outstanding work Busy Seagull! You've really worked hard on this.

[Dangerous Leaf]

Thats an awesome story... I had to read it for like.. Crazy long. Im guessing you put a TON of work into this?