Page 82 - The Lost Ways

- By S. Walter -

“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”

- Thomas Fuller, 1732

There is an old Slovakian proverb that goes something like this: “Water is the

world’s first and foremost medicine.” It couldn’t be more right.

Between the 16 and 19 centuries, sailing ships dominated naval warfare and
th
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international trading routes at sea. Throughout this period, the square-rigged ships
carried early settlers, colonizers, and European explorers to different parts of the world,
marking one of the world’s most widespread human migrations in history. Nicknamed the
[1]
“Age of Sail,” this period began in 1571 with the Battle of Lepanto and ended in 1862
with the Battle of Hampton Roads when the steam-powered CSS Virginia destroyed the
[2]
USS Congress and USS Cumberland sailing ships.
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European and the American colonies shared a very strong connection between the 16
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and 19 centuries—shipping. Back then, sailors would spent weeks, even months, at sea
and had to come up with a way to preserve fresh water.

In 1568 the daily ration of water in the Spanish navy was 0.25 gallons. Wine might have
been an excellent source of extra calories, but it dehydrated the body. Some didn’t even
[3]
drink their wine. They saved the wine to sell it afterwards upon arrival in America. In
1636 the Admiralty of Amsterdam allowed ships with 100 sailors on board to carry 35
[4]
barrels of beer as well, apart from food.
When Jamaica was conquered in 1655, rum became widely available. It was cheap, and

sailors soon realized that it lasted better in wooden barrels than beer did. Until 1740

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