Old crackers and corned beef early ate sailors. Photo

7

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото The profession is not for wimps.

It is difficult to imagine a more difficult job than service as a sailor on the ship of the XVIII century. At that time people were poisoned in the distant Maritime expedition for months at a time departing from their native shores. Among the tests which were prepared for this voyage, they were greeted not only by the winds and storms, but also food that they were fed on the ship.

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото

Eating old crackers.

Sailor in the XVI-XVIII centuries could be the only person capable of a long time to do without any comfort in a small boat in the ocean. Living conditions the sailors had been shockingly primitive, and primarily it was food.

Dry the Admiralty reports, and in works of art Patrick O’brien, Raphael Sabatini, Cecil Scott Forester, Thomas Mayne Reid describes in detail the diet of these sea-wolves.

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото

Russell Crowe in the role of a British frigate captain Jack Aubrey in the film “Master and commander. On the edge of the earth” (2003).

Before going to sea aboard imported fresh produce, pork, beef, peas, flour, oatmeal, butter, cheese, alcohol. But most of all was the corned beef and crackers. Officers and warrant officers had chipped in together and for the personal money to buy for their cabins companies live cows, sheep, goats, poultry. The captain, as the richest man on the ship, makes his own stocks.

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото

English and American biscuits, XIX century.

Several centuries ago, preserving products not yet invented, fresh food in a marine climate did not last long, so in long voyages the diet of the majority of sailors consisted of corned beef, water, crackers and biscuits. But even this food is spoiled.

The experienced sailor could surprise the situation when “in the bowl of a chaplain crawls none other than morochnik, the largest species of parasites from those that infest in the old bread — so smooth, with black head and having a weird spicy taste. Soup, of course, generously seasoned bread crumbs, so it was thicker and splashed in pitching. The chaplain not long been at sea, and could not know that baracnicka no damage, even of bitterness, characteristic of all the worms, and therefore may lose appetite.”

So the breadcrumbs and eaten with worms and bugs. And to make it less biscuit pounded on the table.

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото

Koc from the British ship preparing lunch, 1831.

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото

A barrel of corned beef.

Meat, salted in barrels, has a considerable shelf life. Nominally it should be enough for anyone, even the most distant, swimming. In reality, due to poor barrels, poor quality salt and hot climate, corned beef spoil and rot. But even unspoiled, it was difficult to eat. Cooking corned beef – the process is very simple, just cook the meat just cut into pieces and proveribal it in clear water. But removing salt completely is not possible. Besides, negligent kochevar did not always bother to remove hard skin. To digest such food, you need a very undemanding stomach.

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото

The kitchen is on the British battleship HMS Victory.

When the Board ended all the fresh meat, the sailors and even officers, future officers, drew his attention to the rats:

“Rats were caught hold by the officers and carefully gutted and sanded, was put on sale on the tvindek at a price that grew with each week, and has reached the current record level of five pence a bunch.”

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото

A marine and a sailor fishing from the anchor 44-gun frigate Pallas. Gabriel Bray, 1775.

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото

The sailor with the British frigate Pallas fishing, lying on the gun. Gabriel Bray, 1775.

The men traded not only rats, but also freshly caught fish. Surprisingly, many sea wolves did not recognize the fish as the main food, preferring meat.

Meager diet of sailors, consisting of corned beef and crackers, skrashivalo daily portion of alcohol. Betrayed him, carefully pouring all equally under the close supervision of concerned eyes. In the British Navy of the eighteenth century the daily intake was 3 liters of beer, 0.5 litres of wine or 250 ml of grog (watered down rum). If the captain wanted to thank the team, there was no better way than an extra dose of alcohol.

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото

Dr. James Lind gives you lemons sailors sick with scurvy.

From prolonged feeding corned beef and biscuits and lack of vitamins the sailors often suffered from scurvy. This disease causes a rash on the body, loss of teeth, anemia, death. The only treatment of the disease – the resumption of normal diet, rich in vitamin C.

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото

Four British Marines eat peas in the hull of the British frigate Pallas. Gabriel Bray, 1774.

Старые сухари и солонина: чем раньше питались моряки. Фото

Place for meals aboard the ship of the line HMS Victory.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here