Tag Archives: Feeding Nelson’s Navy
Navy Cheese
Cheese was one of the staple foods on a British man o’ war. Twelve ounces of cheese were issued per sailor each week. According to Janet MacDonald in Feeding Nelson’s Navy, in the early part of the 18th Century the … Continue reading
Filed under Age of Sail, naval food
The Issue of Provisions
The life of the sailor revolved around meals. The mess, typically 4 to 8 men, constituted the social organization aboard ship and meals provided the high points in days filled with monotony. Each mess was assigned a number, HMS Victory, … Continue reading
Filed under Age of Sail, naval food
Four pounds of salt beef…
Whatever meat it may have been, the salt beef was certainly abomin- able. It could, perhaps, have been made eatable by long soaking in the steep tub, but no meat for the messes was ever soaked for more than twenty-four … Continue reading
Filed under Age of Sail, Naval Fiction, naval food, Naval Life
Weevily Biscuit
As we discussed below in “… a lesser of two weevils” one of the standard vignette’s in virtually any novel set in the British navy during the Age of Sail is the rapping of a ship’s biscuit on the table … Continue reading
Filed under Age of Sail, naval food, Naval Life
“…the lesser of two weevils”
Two weevils crept from the crumbs. “You see those weevils, Stephen?” said Jack solemnly. “I do.” “Which would you choose?” “There is not a scrap of difference. Arcades ambo. They are the same species of curculio, and there is nothing … Continue reading
Filed under Age of Sail, Jack Aubrey Novels, Naval Fiction, naval food, Naval Life
Navy Food
Naval fiction set during the Age of Sail roundly condemns the food. Spoiled meat. Rancid cheese and butter. Weevily bread. Salt beef that could be carved into snuff boxes. But like so many other stories of the time we have … Continue reading
Filed under Age of Sail, Naval Fiction, naval food, Naval Life
