Posted on 10/08/2007 4:49:51 AM PDT by xzins
At the end of a long journey, the remaining staple food -
A Sailor's Hardtack Recipe
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats. 3 cups unbleached flour. 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
1 1/2 cups water. 1/2 cup melted bacon drippings or shortening.
Combine the two sets of ingredients. When the dough is thoroughly mixed, roll it out on a floured board to a thickness of about a quarter inch. Cut out circles of dough with a large drinking glass dipped in flour and put them on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 5 1/2 minutes at 450° F.
Columbus Day thread
Ripe for a neener response
No surprise it's the remaining staple at the end of a journey.
One day Columbus was at a dinner which a Spanish gentleman had given in his honor, and several persons were present who were jealous of the great admiral’s success. They were proud, conceited fellows, and they very soon began to try to make Columbus uncomfortable.
``You have discovered strange lands beyond the seas,’’ they said, ``but what of that? We do not see why there should be so much said about it. Anybody can sail across the ocean; and anybody can coast along the islands on the other side, just as you have done. It is the simplest thing in the world.’’
Columbus made no answer; but after a while he took an egg from a dish and said to the company:—
``Who among you, gentlemen, can make this egg stand on end?’’
One by one those at the table tried the experiment. When the egg had gone entirely around and none had succeeded, all said that it could not be done.
Then Columbus took the egg and struck its small end gently upon the table so as to break the shell a little. After that there was no trouble in making it stand upright.
``Gentlemen,’’ said he, ``what is easier than to do this which you said was impossible? It is the simplest thing in the world. Anybody can do it,—AFTER HE HAS BEEN SHOWN HOW!’’
I found this.....(need to look on Snopes)
THE STARTLING MYTHS — AND FACTS! — ABOUT CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS!
by Vanessa Cortez, staff writer [October 8, 2001]
[WeeklyUniverse.com] Like all seamen of his day, Columbus was a keen astronomer! — a skill that came in handy when on his last voyage in 1504, the gutsy “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” accurately predicted an upcoming lunar eclipse — and fooled local Indians into thinking he had supernatural powers!
* Columbus Day is proudly celebrated by Italian-Americans everywhere — but amazingly! — Columbus may not even be Italian!
* Many historians believe Columbus was born in the Italian port city of Genoa — but others think he was born on the island of Corsica — as was Napoleon!
* Columbus was a fervent Catholic who believed God had chosen him for a great destiny — but his folks may have been “conversos” — converted Spanish Jews!
* Columbus wrote in Spanish — not Italian! — his entire life!
* Other experts believe Columbus’s family tree included Vikings — which goes a long way to explaining the gutsy explorer’s skill with a mast!
* At age 14, while many American kids are thrilling to Treasure Island, Columbus was a real-life pirate! — yo-ho-hoing to Greece and Iceland!
* Columbus never wanted to prove the Earth was round! — because everyone already knew it! His goal was to find an overseas trade route to India and China — because Arab bandits made land travel risky!
* In 1484, Columbus gave Portugal — not Spain! — first crack at his plan to sail West to China — but Portugal’s King John II rejected Columbus’s plans as too vague!
* King John was right! Portugal’s own Vasco da Gama discovered an easier sea route to India — by sailing around Africa — six years after Columbus found the New World!
* Contrary to popular myth, Spain’s svelte but thrifty Queen Isabella never sold her jewelry to pay for Columbus’s voyage! She and hubby Ferdinand financed the trip partly through investors — Italian investors!
* Columbus’s crew included four jailbirds! A murderer who killed a man in a brawl — and three punks who helped him break out of prison!
* Contrary to popular myth, Columbus’s voyage to the New World was smooth- sailing! His ships had food for a full year, and encountered no storms. But a huge hurricane on the return voyage almost destroyed Columbus’s tiny fleet!
* Columbus left Spain with three ships, but returned with only two. The Santa Maria was shipwrecked in 1492 — on Christmas Day!
* Although many paintings show Columbus coming ashore with a priest, the first voyage included no priests! Five priests came on the second — much larger — voyage.
* The first white settlement in the New World was a fortress on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti), erected in 1492 and christened “La Navidad.” When Columbus returned a year later, the found fortress empty — Indians had massacred all 38 men!
* But not the women — because there were none! Columbus didn’t bring women until his third voyage in 1498. The ladies was brought as wives for the Spanish colonialists — one lady for every ten guys! Some of the Spaniards eventually took Indian wives.
* Columbus’s first battle with Indians was on St. Croix, on November 14, 1493. A gutsy fighter, Columbus survived!
* Columbus introduced horses into the New World. Although American Indians are known as skilled cowpokes, until the arrival of Europeans — there were no horses in America!
* Europeans also brought smallpox to the New World.
* Indians gave Europeans syphilis and tobacco.
* Although Columbus found lots of islands, he never hit North America! He discovered South America during his third voyage (1498—1500).
* Columbus died in 1506 — never discovering that he’d discovered a new continent!
* No one knows Columbus’s finally resting place! He was buried in Spain, then in 1536 his remains were moved to Hispaniola (Haiti), then in 1899 they were returned to Spain, and reburied in 1902 — three years later!
* Parts of Columbus may also lie in Italy and the Dominican Republic. For a while — they were in Cuba!
* Columbus died forgotten — but not poor! He died peacefully, relatively rich, and surrounded by friends and family.
COLUMBUS DID NOT BRING V.D. TO THE NEW WORLD
Despite an often repeated claim that Europeans “gave” venereal disease to Indians, the opposite may be true! According to E. Michael Jones: “Syphilis made its first appearance in Europe at the end of the fifteenth century. Its arrival coincided with the discovery of the New World. In fact the latter event was the necessary condition for its arrival in Europe in the loins of Spanish soldiers.” SOURCE: Monsters From The Id, by E. Michael Jones, p. 114.
Here in my state we are celebrating Columbus day, which is the day that Columbus discovered Ohio.
Which is why I said that these needed more reseach and not verified.
Thanks for helping, FRiend!
The same story is attributed to Antonio Brunelleschi, the designer of the church dome in Florence, Italy. He predates Columbus by about a century.
It is possible that you are the nation’s only Columbus Day critic. :>)
I’m always grumpy on days when there’s no mail delivery and the library is closed.
LOL! True or not, it’s a great story.
Canadian Thanksgiving Day is also celebrated today, always on the same day as Columbus Day here.
The probable reason is that they thank God Columbus discovered America, otherwise no one would have found Canada....
By the way, did you see the report about the leftist fools protesting the Columbus Day parade by dumping blood in the streets and calling him the first American terrorist? Sick.
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