[Sca-cooks] mollasses and ships

[nikkicmiller at yahoo.com]

  "And I ordered them given food, in order that they
might eat when they came to the ship, and mollasses."
   Wooden ships absorbed water,which made it
impossible to keep food dry.  Ship owners and later
naval officer did not make any attemp to assuage the
sugar hunger, which resulted from a diet dominated in
salt.  Not for the common sailor were spices and
seasonings which gave variety to his betters, although
some relishes occasionally found thier way on board
under the guise of "surgeon's necssaries" for the sick
bay.(Food in History -Tannahill)
   Is it possible the people ordered to be given food
were ill and the mollasses taken as medicine?
Possibly the "honey of sugar" is rum, as the 'honey of
the vine' is wine.
phepe
Barony of the Steppes

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