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WRITE WHAT YOU WANT

Exactly. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="me.gif" />
 
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shrug" border="0" alt="dunno.gif" />
 
well, it would have three heads, three legs, five feet, horns on one of the heads, a tail, did i forget something?
 
Yes, to run for your life. He's going to be pissed! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />
 
we could keep the lock on and devise a mechanism to open it from a distance. like a piece of string.
 
Give him time to get used to the new shape we've given him. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dev.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":d:" border="0" alt="dev.gif" />
 
fine with me! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile2.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":))" border="0" alt="smile2.gif" />
 
Then the meiggers. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile2.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":))" border="0" alt="smile2.gif" />
 
I found this in a book and thought somebody wants to read it as well. So I translated it, although danish-english translation is not exactly my cup of tea. Its from two different articles.

Life in the Danish navy in the 1620-1630´s was tough. The sailors had neither cabins nor hammocks - they slept on the deck between the cannons, which was to great discomfort. But because of the danger of fire, it was forbidden to bring hay to sleep on. Everybody had to follow "the old rules, that only let them bring a sack of clothes". The legislation on breaking the rules on the ships have been preserved - and one can easily get the picture of exactly how tough this life was by reading these examples:
"If a man have been sleeping or drinking on his watch, he should be shot - by five of his closest friends aboard, pointed out by himself."

The most feared punishment among the sailors was stated in the Articles of War, §31b:
"If somebody kills another person aboard the ship, he shall be tied face to face to his victim and thrown overboard this way."
Nonetheless, these laws were broken quite often, and the consequences executed!!

<u>Jan Mendoza the Pirate</u>
For most part, the kingdom of Denmark consisted of saltwater - and most of it very cold indeed! Danish territorial waters included large parts of the Baltic Sea, the easter parts of the North Sea and Skagarack, along with all of the Artic Ice Cap from Greenland, Shetland and the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Svalbard and the Norwegian coastline in its full length. Due to the exploitation of the resources (whalehunting, fishing, trade with Russia) King Christian IV was very serious on protecting these waters and demonstrate his power to England, Spain and Holland in order to keep them away.

Well, most of us by default would always connect pirate to red bandanas and visible tatoos on a naked upper arm in southern waters, but in fact the major problem in these large northern territories in the 16th century was - piracy! Especially Spanish pirates looted the waters between the British Islands and Norway and they operated as far north as past the North Cape. They looted and hijacked everything they came across, from large trade convoys to small tartanes, and in addition, they landed as well in the smaller villages when they knew they could match the local population in numbers.
The stories about their looting were many, and true: Whole families were taken prisoners and sold as slaves in Northern Africa, villages were burnt down to the ground, women were raped, children and old people were methodically slaughtered like animals in numerous ways on the spot. Of course, Denmark could not accept this and the navy were ordered to hunt down the pirates - dead or alive.
Jan Mendoza in particular, was a famous and feared pirate.
If the stories about him was true, he had no nails, only claws. And he could spit flames and sulphur. Sharp knives and thorns were growing on his knees and elbows!
In 1615, the King therefore send off an expedition with only one simple task: "Bring Jan Mendoza dead - or alive - to Copenhagen". From logbooks and diaries from some of the members of the expedition, we have documented knowledge of the terms and conditions, a life in the navy brought to a Marine or a sailor. In addition, we also know about this pirate-hunt:

The frigate “Victor” and a smaller vessel, the yacht “Jupiter” - set sail 5th of May 1615. Quite early in the search, anchoring on Shetland, they were told Mendoza were here short time ago and from what the population could see, he was bearing towards the "Northern Lands" as he sailed away. A couple of weeks later, the two pirate-hunting vessels therefore passed the Northern Cape and entered the Barents Sea (at that time called "The White Ocean" because of the icebergs and drifting ice constantly being a danger to any ship daring to head far enough east or north).
After spending weeks searching for Mendoza, finally two masts appeared among the icebergs in the horizon - it was Mendoza´s two ships! Full sails were set and the hunt across the White Ocean started. But the stormy, cold wind and the raging sea broke both of the "Victor"´s two masts, leaving only the mizzen mast standing left. "Jupiter" had to turn around and help - and Mendoza escaped! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" />

Thats it folks - no more bedtime stories for now <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
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