Nelson & His World

The TRUTH must prevail and so must whomever had the correct correct answer, no question; the adjudicator(s) must reconvene!

Here's what comes of thinking too much: I put Imperial only to distinguish the measure from US. (Why I thought this was important at the time, I wish I knew . ) Now today I see this interesting statement on line, in the Columbia Encyclopedia Sixth Edition:



Now, does that mean that US measures are really closer to being correct for "our" period? Curiouser and curiouser.

My "band" plays a lot of music for the living history community and even though we're just hired help our reenactor acquaintances have made sure we know the crucial difference between "hardcore" (period correct; "super hardcore" is even better, achieving maximum authenticity, wormy apples, body lice...) and "farby" (Far Be It from the real thing, Fallacious Accoutrements and Reprehensible Baggage...)
I wish not to be a farb, winning with an 1824 answer to an 1800 question. Nor will I be one of those Fiddler Scoundrels. If YOU had the real right answer, you know who you are; please come forward.

Tycho, to your question. If I hadn't looked this up last September I never would have found it in time for the quiz, it took forever. It would have been easier if I had known a butt and a pipe were the same measure. I finally found it on Wikipedia under "Barrel (volume)"; and also on the nifty site "The Lucky Bag" (which is "largely derived from materials relating to USS Constitution"). I also found "leaguer" here. http://www.polkcounty.org/timonier/luck ... g/bag.html

I don't think there is a right answer because you always see references to a "puncheon of rum" - rarely a "pipe of rum"...

I think I'm going to be a bit imperial myself here, and declare that the quiz-setter's ORIGINAL decision is FINAL.

Phew, thanks Tycho for making that executive decision. What a thing to come home to... I was just about to get my coat on and go out into the snow again!

Actually, the website I took the information from is this site: https://www.safeshop.co.nz/meenans/pdf/ ... asures.pdf

which, on closer inspection, isn't even British. So, aside from the severe mathematical challenge of adding up pints and quarts and gallons and hogsheads, and confusing wine with rum, I even managed to get the hemisphere wrong. What became clear - when answers started to come in - was that this was a bad, bad question to set. My excuse... I just drink the stuff.

So, having made a pig's ear and turned turtle on the pipes question, I think it best to withdraw it entirely and (Caird-like) reduce the 12 days of Christmas to 11. On that basis, a quick recount shows that the winner is... finally... Fiddler.

Bamber Gascoigne I'm not, so I think a quiet retreat from the quiz circuit, to nurse a pint of wine (or is it rum) in the naughty corner, might just be in order.

Kester,

I offer my sympathy and know your sadness at the loss of your cat. Our animal friends bring many gifts yet always seem to take a part of us away with them when they go.

Gretchen

Thanks Gretchen,

We're feeling a little better now over her loss and, as you say, a part of you goes with them. She was a Russian Blue and a most beautiful cat we'd had for about ten years.

Now, have Nala, who we (or rather I, with my wife's approval) have remnamed Emma, and her three kittens, Jungle Jim, Baloo and King Kong, all of course names of cartoon characters, to keep us amused. Even as I write this they are all belting up and down the living room and climbing all over the furniture! We'll have the kittens for about four weeks before they go back to the cat home, but we'll enjoy having them for that short period - at least I think so! Emma seems to want to be rid of them soon and already prefers to be with us at times! They'd been in quarantine at the cat home, having initially been found dumped in a container, and the staff were trying to find a foster home for them so we decided to have all of them rather than to have to wait to collect the mother cat. They were all rather restless too being stuck in a cage, reasonably-sized though it was, so we thought it better for them too. Although we've only had them for two days, we've already taken a number of pictures of them!

I bet you're relieved that the prize is still on its way to you!

I'm pretty relieved too Kester!

Gretchen's two Morrison volumes were posted out in the New Year and I believe made the Atlantic crossing safely.

The first batch are now printed and on the streets, so I will post full details and availability on a separate thread.

Happy reading Gretchen!

Mira,

Thanks for the update. I'll bet they'll be a great read.

A short update on the cats. They all went to the vet a few days ago for their injections and a check up. All are fine. After examination, it turns out one of them is female, King Kong! We've decided to keep one of them, probably Baloo as he's the the most forward and affectionate of them, but when the time comes to return the two others to the cat home it'll be a bit of a wrench.

They are a great read. Make this set your next book purchase. Start them at the beginning or just dive in anywhere, it's equally fruitful. The volumes stay open without the spines breaking! See all the famous passages in context, it makes a world of difference. Discover others that should be famous but aren't - yet. Even in facsimile the text is easy on the eye. The generous margins are a boon to note makers. ***** Five out of five stars.

If you're snowbound and frozen, get yourself a hot chocolate and settle in with these two books. That's what I've done...

(Unfortunately the kitchen sink is piled high with dishes now and there's not a clean mug in the house. Fortunately my husband Phil is a saint.)

If you're in Lahaina or someplace, still get the books, and head for the lanai.

Mira, you have my deepest appreciation. Thank you.

Gretchen

PS Kester if Queen Kong were closer to Buffalo I'd be tempted to bid! Just as well, it would be a tough sell to Saint Phil (Temporarily Not Filling in for Francis) and his crony Raghallaigh the Maine Coon cat...