Re: Hornblower

["Neil Sinclair/Peggy Rintoul" <rinsin@globalserve.net>]

Laurel; One of the great oddities regarding Hornblower (made real by C.S.
Forrester )was that he was a real figure and that his exploits as were
depected by CS Forrester were accurate. The C. Nortcote Parkinson did an
excellent biography some years ago but it is long out of print. This
provides a good illustration of how perceived fiction becomes history.
Now as for the conditions of sailing ships on the migrations away from
Scotland there are some interesting observations. One is that there was a
full range of experience good and bad depending on when the migration
occured. The 1860's was not like the 1780's. One observation I do make is
that the migrations were not easy, physically or emotionally. It was a one
way trip by in large, people leaving families behind did not expect to ever
return. Secondly not everyone embarking disembarked because of the ease of
disease spreading on shipboard and of course no health requirements for
boarding. Then there was seasickness, combined with the smells, the rocking,
darkness, closeness of unwashed bodies for weeks, and lack of plumbing below
decks. Sound like fun? Again generalizations are too easy and Sinclairs
arriving had a wide variety of experiences no doubt. Keep up your fine work;
Yours aye; Neil Toronto-PEI-Argyll
-----Original Message-----
From: Spirit One Email <laurel@spiritone.com>
To: sinclair@zilker.net <sinclair@zilker.net>
Date: 12 April, 1999 10:13 PM
>        Now I hope that everyone that has access to cable TV is watching
the
>Horatio Hornblower shows.  I have read all 12 books while using a map to
>chart each adventure.  Really, the tiny details of everyday crowded and
>squalid living conditions onboard ships of the early 1800's are
fascinating.
>Has anyone else read them?  This gives us a better picture of what our
>ancestors went through as they sailed over here or to Australia, etc.
>Laurel

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