elanya

One of my classes ran late today, but the other got out really early! This is because the keynote address of the symposium on the Beaufort Inlet Wreck (the alleged Queen Anne's Revenge) is tonight, and Dr. Ewen is involved in the organization. I'm heading up there soon, as there are free munchies and socializing before the talk. Now, I am interesting in the BIW for various reasons. If it is the QAR, then the research there woill be really significant to the work I want to do. The speech tonight is about early North carolina and Blackbeard, which shoudl be fun, because I already know a lot of this stuff, and I want to hear what is going to be said ;) Also, did I mention free food?

But the controversy surrounding it is also curious. two of the proffs here, Dr Richards and Dr Rogers, recently published an article in the International Journal of Nautoical Archaeology saying that they don't think it is the QAR, or at the very least, that the researchers are approaching it wrong, and too strongly promoting the idea that it *is&, when the claims are not solid enough to do so. i haven't read the article yet... I've got too much other stuff to read (ugh -_-) But I am planning on it. I guess the issue for me is trying to decide if the fact that they are using so much caution because it is being toted as such a historically important ship is justifiable or not. I am sure that other ships have been identified based on more scanty evidence, so it is acceptable that it is such a big deal in this case? Should we hold the identifuication process to higher standards because it is, maybe, Blackbeard's ship, or should it *not* get special treatment? Anyway, I'm off for the free snacks, and hopefully a good lecture! the actual symposium starts tomorrow, at 8:45, and I am trying to decide if I want to go to all of it, or use some of the day to start writing papers.

In either case... is anyone going to be around later tonight?

I walked home from the presentation in the rain. I think that I could have *maybe* gotten more soaked if I'd jumped in a pool with my clothes on. Actually, bizzarely enough, my panties are dry... but that's about it.

Of course, me being me, I came home, dumped the water ofut of my shoes, and then stripped down to said panties in the bathroom, dumping all the soaked clothes save my bra (jacket, t-shit and skirt) in the tub. I hung the bra up ^-^ I toweeled myself off, then proceeded directly to the kitchen to make myself some hot chocolate. Eventually I scooted into my room, to grab a shirt, and once again lamented my lack of fluffy bathrobe. I now have hot chocolate with baileys in it though, and all is well.

In other QAR news... I always thought that the historical evidence was the most convincing evidence for the identity of the QAR. And I think tonight's lecture just reenforced that. Dr. Butler did'nt spend a lot of time going over the things that are well known... about the various corespondences about the shipwreck, or even talk much about the pirates in Bath (Which I admit was a little dissapointing... I wanted to hear what he might have to say about that. I suppose I should have stuck around to talk to him, but.... Maybe I will see him tomorrow). Instead he put the colonial commerce of North Carolina during thr proprietary period into its economic, and geographic, context. The Outer Banks make it difficult to get to North carolina, especially for large vessels. Most of the inlets are shallow, and impermanent. Where records exist for various NC ports during this period, there are no records of vessels even a fraction the size of the 'alleged QAR'. It was just too damned big a ship to reasonably *get in*. Additionally, Dr. Butler examined an earlier study done of Charleston (Charles Town, in this period), shipping. In the 17-teens, the largest vessel recorded visiting there is only about 180 tons, and the best armed had about 10 guns. They have recovered 23 guns from the Beaufort Inlet Wreck, which is believed to be somewhere in the 200-300 ton range. His examination of the records from the biggest Virginia port (Richmond, I believe?) shows about the same thing. It is too big, and too well armed, a ship to be travelling on thiks coast, period. Most of the trade was carries by sloops from New England, which averaged around 40-50 tons. the larger vessels (Ship and Pinks) were the ones trading with England directly. The Queen Anne's Revenge was originally a French vessel involved in the slave trade to the West Indies. Anyway, I think this is pretty damned good supporting evidence. If someone else has a reasonable alternate hypothesis, I'd give it a fair consideration.... but I haven't heard one yet.