Ha Ha Ha!
Frederick Marryat (artist) / George Cruickshank (etcher), An Interesting scene, on board an East-Indiaman, showing the Effects of a heavy Lurch, after dinner. London: George Humphrey - (printer), November 9, 1818.
The
sailor upper right by the gun is saying, "My precious eyes, Tom!!!
Here's a smash!!!! - hold on my hearties -!! hang on by yr eyelids"!
Case bottles of Madeira, priming horns, cannon swabs and roundshot are
all ahoo, and the only thing in the cabin unaffected by the tilt is the
free swinging liquor platform. The gentleman being scalded with coffee
has someone's pet bulldog freaking out and chewing on his leg. The
gunner Tom is drinking from a filched bottle of wine with great gusto
and unconcern. Rule Brittania!
Oh, and that short barrelled
cannon is a carronade, aka a 'smasher'. These were originally marketed
for commercial ships, as they were much lighter and used far less
powder. They proved useful to the Royal Navy and Nelson had 2 on the
Victory at Trafalgar, clearing the gun deck of the Bucentaure with one
roundshot and a keg of 250 musket balls fired from each of the stubby 68
pounder guns through the French ship's rear windows. This at one blow
killed or wounded 200 of the 400 men on that deck. From a range of 5 yards.
Boo.
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