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Pitts River Museum in Oxford
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Link of the day
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I was brought here by the rumour of a witch, trapped in a silvered glass bottle...
This varies from the usual Witch bottle, which are bottles filled with charms, fetishes, etc, usually laid in a foundation or threshold to keep witches out.
Scroll down and you'll see it:
Link: https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/agu-nsi-bottle-rowan-loops
This was displayed in a different context as part of 7 part exhibition of "Presence and Absence" by Marina Abramović, who's show you can also view on the website. (Link here: https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/event/marina-abramovic-pitt-rivers-museum)
I rather love these museums, that bring together objects of great antiquity and curiosity, little totems and trinkets who's ideas and associations far transcend the sum of their parts, and the varied and visually dense arrangement and curation.
Custom of the sea
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Ideas & Questions
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Which refers to the unwritten rule of drawing lots and cannibalism for shipwrecked sailors. An interesting read, note as well the interesting parallel between the Richard Parker of Edgar Allen Poe's & the Mignonette, and the double entendre of "Owen Coffin" - "Owing a Coffin", but life is frequently stranger than fiction...
The Cruise of the 'Alerte' - Project Gutenberg
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
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This, recommended by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, was a much needed diversion from his own journal of the Antarctic Expedition.
In which we follow the author and his crew as they sail to the island of Trindade in search of the lost Treasure of Lima.
'Lost' may be the wrong word, 'Mislaid' is perhaps better.
Anyways, on the deathbed confession of a 'Piratical Finn' several expeditions were launched to the Island of Trindade (referred to loosely as 'Trinidad' in the book), of which his is one. Enough clues given by the confession tally with the description of the island and the author is persuaded to try his hand at digging for the treasure. So he rounds up a crew - via subscription (each member pays a fee for the travel/yacht, etc - to enjoy a portion of the plunder), engages a few staff, and sets out.
A real-life "Treasure Island", if you will.
Our adventures of various sorts, the perils of landing, the attacks made on us by the multitudes of hideous land-crabs and ferocious sea-birds, our difficult climb over the volcanic mountains, and finally our anything but regretful departure from one of the most uncanny and dispiriting spots on earth, are fully set out in my book, 'The Cruise of the "Falcon."'
That, describing his first expedition, the descriptive style is much the same in the second.
Link: Google Maps, Island of Trindade
I won't be giving much away if I tell you they don't find it. Nonetheless, an interesting idea and worth it if only for the rather humorous descriptions. And there's a business idea for you, chartering a yacht and leading wealthy patrons off on treasure hunts the world over...
You can read this online - Link: Project Gutenberg - The Cruise of the 'Alerte'
Curious, what a hold "Pirate Treasure" has on the collective imagination, when so few (in fact none, I'm assured) examples have ever been found. What treasure has been recovered has been from Pirate ships and Galleons sunk and on the bottom of the sea, I can find no references to pirate treasures ever being dug up on deserted shores or islands.
H.H.
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
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Meanwhile, in other news, scrolling Facebook, news that H.H., the only person I 'follow' on Facebook, has died, his death (not named) in the Nelson Star today, (Port Alberni, unidentified male), you could tell from his posts - a long media dump of every treasure he'd ever found - that this was coming.
Always a tragedy but a train wreck you could see coming from a mile away. And how to prevent it?
Winters, here, BC, it's Kootenay Survivor.
***
News, that the Healthcare exec Assassin was captured, another shame, I'd hoped for a little more professionalism, that somehow he'd remain uncaught and send all the rest of the cockroaches scurrying for their bunkers. The media coverage has been entertaining, to say the least, and gets one's mind off the more serious dismantling of progress and democracy already well underway south of the border. The less said about that the better.
On a related note I'll leave you with this:
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_swGiAHhbQ
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