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Rodney wrote:

> Q. Would a ship that size actually carry an alembic? I suppose they
> might, if the grog was regarded as a necessity.


Not sure what Rodney would class as an alembic.

Iron galley stoves largely replace dthe old brick ones on English
warships by about 1750. The "Brodie Stove" replaced earlier designs
during the 1780s. Those were sometimes fitted with stills, to condense
the steam from the kettles as a source of small quantities of drinking
water. I do not know of any source which confirms or refutes the
possibility that the Brodie Stoves on frigates were so equipped. Quite
likely, it was an individual thing, largely at the captain's whim but
perhaps that much more likely to be fitted on a ship bound for service
is distant waters.

The later Lamb & Nicholson Stove seems to have had a still as a standard
feature but that was not introduced until 1810, so too late for the
supposed era of the "Master & Commander" movie.



Isn't it a bit silly to name the movie "Master & Commander" when the
commander of a frigate was, by definition, a Post Captain?


Trevor Kenchington


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Trevor J. Kenchington PhD                         Gadus@iStar.ca
Gadus Associates,                                 Office(902) 889-9250
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