Posted by John Wilson on August 05, 2006 at 08:08:53 from 202.154.130.89 user hugo.
In Reply to: Re: S A & Ds Disasters now Grog posted by John on August 04, 2006 at 18:47:38:
The picture of the puncheon being carried slung from an oar for portage is in Chapter 11 of SA, after meeting the Amazons and the parley. Peggy says that it was meant for water as the natives thought that the lake water was not fit to drink. But as they always drank it boiled for tea, they used the water breaker as a puncheon for feastable drinks. A Puncheon is in my dictionaries a large cask of 72 to 120 gallons (Concise Oxford) or 70 to 120 gallons (Collins), so is not a standard measure, though larger than the Amazon’s cask in the drawing!
Later in the chapter they have a drink from the barrel of “the finest lemonade that pirate or explorer ever swigged”. Titty says “I never tasted better rum”.