What's the going rate for a midshipman?

[anteros_lmc]

Sir Francis Beaufort

About 2000 piastres in 1812 apparently!

I'm reading a biography of Francis Beaufort by Nicholas Courtney and he relates an anecdote that while Beaufort was surveying the coast of Asiatic Turkey in 1812 a local aga offerred him 2000 piastres for one of his midshipmen. Beaufort was too coy to record the incident in his own log, but it was noted by the architect and archaeologist Charles Robert Cockerell who accompanied Beaufort on his survey.

Beaufort may have been unwilling to sell his midshipmen, but he wasn't averse to making good use of his handsome seamen. While trying to persuade the Pasha of Antalya to allow him to explore the inner city, Beaufort sent a gift of

...a cask of gunpowder, a hundred quail, some beer and some trinkets, wrapped in green cloth (the sacred colour of Turkey) borne ashore on pole by 'ten of the most athletic and handsome men of the crew calculated to enhance the vale of the present'.

Both Beaufort and Cockerell were noted draftsmen and water colourists, but alas, as far as I know, they neglected to record the charming midshipman and athletic and handsome crewmen :}

Courtney, N., (2002), Gale Force 10 - The life and legacy of Admiral Beaufort 1774 - 1857, Headline Book Publishing, London.

Comments

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

What a shame that the handsome seamen were not recorded. That is really quite amusing. Imagine them being picked out in the morning. There they are at morning formation, and the divisions are all drawn up for the beauty contest... Do you suppose deck showers were involved?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Yes, you do have to wonder how Captain Beaufort picked the most athletic and handsome of the crew. Was there a beauty parade on deck, or auditions in the cabin?!

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

If midshipman are so cheap, can we club together and buy a certain blond one?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Gladly. Could be tricky deciding how to share him though....

[mylodon.livejournal.com]

Blooming heck, gal, if we could get our paws on him we could work out the rest...

[nodbear.livejournal.com]

Well I still think the Indy had a covert policy with regard to physical appearance
Nicky, Robert R, Jeremiah ...

now we know why this was a good policy :)

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Indeed! Wonder how much the aga would have offered for Nicky?!