Below are the 6 most recent journal entries recorded in Elinor Strangewayes' LiveJournal:

Thursday, April 5th, 2007
2:59 pm	A few period astronomy and navigation links 88 Constellations Some Nautical Astronomical Terms in the Western Mediterranean c1300 Filling the Sky - Constellation History (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 9th, 2007
2:43 pm	Supplies the Colonists Took to Virginia - Inventory Supplies the Colonists Took to Virginia Early 1620s, published 1625 in Purchas His Pilgrimes Samuel Purchas The Inconveniences that have happened to some persons which have transported themselves from England to Virginia, without provisions necessary to sustaine themselves, hath greatly hindered the Progresse of that Noble Plantation: For prevention of the like disorders hereafter, that no man suffer either through ignorance or misinformation; it is thought requisite to publish this short Declaration: wherein is contayned a particular of such necessaries, as either private Families or single persons shall have cause to furnish themselves with, for their better support at their first landing in Virginia; whereby also greater numbers may receive in part directions how to provide themselves. Apparell for one man and so after the rate for more One Monmouth Cap 1.s. 10.d. Three falling bands 1.s. 3.d. Three shirts 7.s. 6.d. One Waste-coate 2.s. 2.d. One sute of Canvase 7.s. 6.d. One sute of Frize [i.e., frieze, a heavy woolen having a shaggy uncut nap on one side 10.s.   One sute of Cloth 15.s.   Three paire of Irish stockins 4.s.   Foure pair of shooes 8.s. 8. One paire of garters   10. One doozen of points [i.e., cords used to lace up items of clothing]   3.d. One paire of Canvase sheets 8.s.   Seven Ells [i.e., an archaic unit of measure equal to 45 inches] of Canvase, to make a bed and boulster, to be filled in Virginia 8.s.   One Rug for a bed in 8.S. which with the bed serving for two men, halfe is 8.s.   Five Ells course Canvase, to make a bed at Sea for two men, to be filled with straw 4.S. 8.s.   One coorse Rug at Sea for two men, will cost 6.S. is for one     [total] 4.li.   Victuall for a whole yeere for one man and so for more after the rate. Eight bushels of Meale 2.li.     Two bushels of Pease at 3.S.   6.s.   Two bushels of Oatmeale 4.S. 6.d.   9.s.   One gallon of Aquavitae   2.s. 6. One gallon of Oyle   3.s. 6.d. Two gallons of Vinegar 1.S.   2.s.   [total] 3.li. 3.s.   Armes for one man, but if halfe of your men have Armour it is sufficient, so that all have Peeces and Swords. One Armour compleat, light   17.s.   One long Piece, five foot or five and a halfe, neere Musket bore 1.li. 2.s.   One sword   5.s.   One Belt   1.s.   One Bandaleere   1.s. 6.d. Twentie pound of Powder   18.s.   Sixtie pound of shot or lead, Pistoll and Goose shot   5.s.   [total] 3.li. 9.s. 6.d. Tooles for a Family of sixe persons, and so after the rate for more. Five broad howes [i.e. hoes] at 2.s. a piece   10.s   Five narrow howes at 16.d. a piece   6.s. 8.d. Two broad Axes at 3.s. 8.d. a piece   7.s. 4.d. Five felling Axes at 18.d. a piece   7.s. 6.d. Two Steele Hand-sawes at 16.d. a piece   2.s. 8.d. Two two-hand-sawes at 5.s. a piece   10.s.   One whip-saw, set and filed with boxe, file and wrest   10.s.   Two Hammers 12.d. a piece   2.s.   Three shovels 18.d. a piece   4.s. 6.d. Two Spades at 18.d. a piece   3.s.   Two Augers 6.d. a piece   1.s.   Six Chissels 6.d. a piece   3.s.   Two percers [i.e., piercer, a tool for starting holes in wood or metal] stocked 4.d. a piece     8.d. Three gimblets [i.e., gimlet, a small boring tool] 2.d. a piece     6.d. Two hatchets 21.d. a piece   3.s. 6.d. Two froves [i.e., froe, a wedge-shaped cleaving tool] to cleave pale [i.e., pallisades] 18.d.   3.s.   Two hand-bils [i.e., a hook-bladed tool used for clearing brush] 20. A piece   3.s. 4.d. One Grindestone 4.s.   4.s.   Nailes of all sorts to the value of 2.li.     Two pickaxes   3.s.   [total] 6.li. 2.s. 8.d. Household Implements for a Family of six persons, and so for more or lesse after the rate. One Iron Pot 7.s.   One Kettle 6.s.   One large frying pan 2.s. 6.d. One Griddiron 1.s. 6.d. Two skillets 5.s.   One Spit 2.s.   Platters, dishes, spoons of wood 4.s.   [total] 1.li. 8.s.   For Sugar, Spice, and fruit at Sea for six men   12.s. 10.s. So the full charge of apparell victuall, armes, tooles and household- stuffe, and after this rate for each person, will amoung unto about the sum of 12.li. 10.s.   The passage of each man is 6.li.     The freight of these provisions for a man, will be about halfe a Tun, which is 1.li. 10.s.   So the whole charge will amount to about 20.li.     Nets, Hookes, Lines, and a Tent must be added if the number of people be greater, as also some Kine [i.e. livestock]. And this is the usuall proportion that the Virginia Company doe bestow upon their Tenants which they send. (14 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
5:13 pm	Information on sounding leads I'm going up to Ekk & Anna's to help launch their boat this weekend. Consequently, I've been thinking lots of nautical things lately. I want to make a sounding lead. ( 1800s sounding leads, as interpreted by a 20th C Navy man ) Alternately: The Lead Line -- Construction and use by Allen Mordica, TMLHA (photos: USNLP) Two leads are employed on vessels: the deep sea lead weighing 28 lb., and the hand lead weighing 14 lb. (a lead weighing somewhat less is sufficient for a small boat). We will look at a small, easily constructed line suitable for instructional and light duty use. To prepare a lead line, assemble the strips of material, a 3-8 lb. lead weight, and 25 fathoms (150 ft.) of 3/8" cotton or manila line. (A note on the sinker; I was unable to obtain a lead, and so was required to cast my own. I carved each half of the mold from pine 2x12's, and the resulting weight didn't look half bad.) Splice the eye of the weight to one end of the line. If you want to allow for hollow in the heel of the lead (see below), flatten the base of the lead with a hammer or, on a large lead, saw off the base flat with a hacksaw, then drill a shallow hole for the tallow (also see below) in the center of the base. At each appropriate point, measured from the weighted end, use a fid or marlinspike to open the strands of the line. Insert the appropriate strip of material, so that the strip extends equally from both sides of the line, then allow the strands to return to their normal position, trapping the strip in the line. Then place whipping immediately at either side of the mark to help hold the strands tightly in place. The line used for a hand lead is 25 fathoms long, and is generally marked as follows: At 2 fathoms-....Leather, with two lobes.(should look like a flat Milk-Bone biscuit) 3 ".........Leather, with three ends (like above, with 3 "lobes" at each end) 5 ".........White calico. (2" wide x 6"long strip) 7 ".........Red bunting. (same size as above) 10 "........Leather, with hole through it at each end.(same as above) 13 "........Blue serge.(same as above) 15 "........White calico.(same as above) 17 "........Red bunting.(same as above) 20 "........Strand of light line, with two knots in it at each end. It is possible, by the different feel of the materials used, to tell what mark is in one's hand in the dark. The above depths are called marks; the unmarked depths in fathoms are called "the deeps". Thus, at five fathoms, the leadsman calls, " By the mark five," in eleven fathoms,"By the deep eleven." He also calls halves and quarters of fathoms i.e.," And a half six,'' for six and a half fathoms, "A quarter less six," for five and three-quarters. To take soundings while under way, the leadsman would take his place at the bow of a small boat, or at the forward chain plates on a large ship, secured from falling overboard by a "breast band", a wide strip of canvas used like a seat belt tied between two shrouds. The leadsman could then lean forward against the band to swing his lead in the clear. He would then swing the lead round and throw it as far forward as possible, so that the lead would be resting on the bottom and the line tight, when the vessel is directly over the lead. If the lead is hove properly, so that the line pays out with a little tension as it passes through the hands, it is easy to tell when it has reached the bottom by the sudden slack felt in the line. When sailing in shoal waters, soundings can be taken much quicker with a pole or boathook than with a lead. There is a hollow at the base, or "heel" of the lead which can be filled, or "armed", with tallow; a specimen of the bottom (mud, sand, or shingle) is brought up with the lead, and this, by referring to the chart, which generally marks the nature of the bottom, may help find your position precisely. Note: Serge is a type of twill that has diagonal lines or ridges on both sides, made with a two-up, two-down weave.  Calico is a fabric made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. It may contain unseparated husk parts, for example. Fabric is less coarse and thick than canvas or denim, but owing to its unfinished and undyed appearance, it is still very cheap. Bunting is defined as loosely woven fabric used for flags.  - http://www.navyandmarine.org/planspatterns/soundingline.htm (Comment on this)
Monday, July 24th, 2006
11:31 am	Current project ( Freakin' huge ) From Purchas His Pilgrims. In 1603, Martin Pring sailed up the Piscataqua as far as Salmon Falls. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, June 29th, 2006
1:50 pm	Maritime http://www.wolfson.ox.ac.uk/~ben/meagher.htm (Comment on this)
10:33 am	SCAdian Research: Netmaking This website has all the information for making nets and cast nets: http://www.bertaut.com/netmaking.html The book was published in the 1940s, but the techniques are much older - the interpreters at Plimoth Plantation are making nets in the same fashion. See also: http://www.farreaches.org/compendium/fishing.html (Comment on this)