Showing posts with label sea voyages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sea voyages. Show all posts

Monday, July 28, 2014

How to Eat at Sea, 1607

Detail of ship, Hendrik Cornelisz Vroom, c. 1600
"A cheape, fresh and lasting victuall, called by the name of Macaroni amongst the Italians, and not unlike (save onely in forme) to the Cus-cus in Barbary, may be upon reasonable warning provided in any sufficient quantity, to serve either for change and variety of meat, or in the want of fresh victual."  
Hugh Plat, Certaine Philosophical Preparations of Foode and Beverage for Sea-Men
Need some sustenance for your upcoming sea voyage? You can subsist for months entirely on this special victual, called by the name of Macaroni amongst the Italians and the college students. Pair it with some ketchup and you're on your way to the Indies!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

How to Choose Your Seat on a Ship, 1458

Noah's Ark: probably smoldering hot and stinking.
BnF Fr. 28 f. 66v (Rouen, s. XV)

"Furste, yf ye goo in a galey... chese yow a place in the seyd galey in the overest stage; for in the lawyst vnder hyt ys ryght smolderyng hote and stynkyng." 
("First, if you go in a galley... choose yourself a place in the said galley in the top deck; for in the lowest underneath it is right smoldering hot and stinking.")
The Itineraries of William Wey (1458)

William Wey gives the galley two stars on TripAdvisor. It gets you to sondry londes, but you have to deal with the stynk.