#whale oil lamp

[tangledserpents]

Whale oil lamp made of pewter with a single wick, c.1840

#lamp #vintage #victorian #history #whale oil #whale oil lamp

[susoriginals]

Antique Miniature Oil Lamp Jeweler Alcohol Whale Oil by Benedict & Burnham Predecessor to Modern Day Bunsen Burner Victorian era just $35

#1840s oil lamp #1850s oil lamp #Victorian oil lamp #ships oil lamp #miniature oil lamp #whale oil lamp #jeweler oil lamp #Benedict Burnham oil lamp #antique lighting #miniature oil lamps #1800s lighting #1800s oil lamps #bunsen burner #antique bunsen burner #etsy #antiques

[ltwilliammowett]

Lamp Oil Cask, late 19th century - early 20th century

#naval artifacts #lamp oil #sperm whale #late 19th early 20th century #age of steam

[wholelottagin]

You guys, I'm so bad at horror games lol

I'm like 20 mins into Call of Cthulhu and I have a tension headache from straining my neck so bad

I am never going to finish this game...

#call of cthulhu #even Anthony Howell's voice might not be enough to get me through this one #edward pierce #my crotchety drunk veteran private eye #aside from the horror the vibes are immaculate #the broiling dark ocean #the whale oil lamps #the decaying old whaling town on a wind blasted rock #😙🤌

[renesassing]

i think a lot about how star wars has been, since its inception, a mainstream pop culture phenomenon while simultaneously nurturing very weird and niche nerd communities. which is fun because especially with the resurgence of star wars these days it's common to find star wars fans but less common to find star wars fans with your personal brand of niche fixation. what i'm trying to say here is the fact that i havent seen sith/dark side luke skywalker fanart ft. him in his stupid dark empire outfit is a disservice to the sw community as a whole.

#sometimes the dark side does not look better #sometimes it looks like you should be carrying a whale oil lamp and posioning yourself with arsenic wallpaper #sometimes it looks like you'll frill if threatened #ok i google dark empire and dealt with naked palp just to have a laugh at luke. worth it #rené.txt

[ronk]

For God’s sake, be economical with your lamps and candles! Not a gallon you burn, but at least one drop of man’s blood was spilled for it.

Moby-Dick, Herman Melville

#FridayMelville #herman melville #moby-dick or the whale #oil lamps #whaling

[sleepinginmygrave]

uh. hello

you can call me jupiter or james but nicknames are more than welcome ⁞ minor ⁞ they/he/she ⁞ pangender ⁞ pan+aroaceflux ⁞ saphillean ⁞ capricorn ⁞ christian ⁞ witch ⁞ french ⁞ regulus + barty + evan kinnie ⁞ harp player ⁞ art is the most important thing to me ⁞ astronomy and marine biology nerd ⁞ big big big animal lover ⁞ huge classical music enjoyer

about me. i guess

musical artists (it is all over the place sorry)↬tv girl. alex g. mac demarco. current joys. mother mother. ethel cain. abba. lamp. vashti bunyan. ichiko aoba. lisa ono. gorillaz. radiohead. nirvana. tyler, the creator. mf doom. crystal castles. conan gray. home. cavetown. deftones. sum 41. rammstein. the smiths. david bowie. queen. t-rex. the beatles. arctic monkeys. simon & garfunkel. sufjan stevens. the cure. strawberry guy. lana del rey. steve lacy. the neighborhood. roar. vacations. lukrembo. liana flores. duster. kyo. sign crushes motorist. macabre plaza. beabadoobee. m83. her's. memo boy. pink pantheress. men i trust. eminem. beach house. yot club. cigarettes after sex. tame impala. eyedress. jack stauber.

classical composers↬ tchaïkovsky; ravel; saint saëns; debussy; satie; fauré; grieg; shostakovtich; liszt

currents animals obsession↬ jellyfishs, sharks, whales, whale sharks, african wild dogs, bovines, horses, (all farms animals. tbh), isopods, snails, any murids, all birds, tarentulas

things i'm deeply passionate about (or enjoy)↬ the sea • rain • animals • plants • poetry • art in any from • classical music • forests • thanatology • marine biology • astronomy • music • bugs • reading at night • art history • plants • gothic architecture • flowers • winnie the pooh

hobbies↬ baking. painting. drawing. knitting. crocheting. playing the harp. going outside. skateboarding. listening to music. reading.

miscellaneous

• i love baking and uhhh i make crêpes almost every week

•@orbitfalls n°1 fan!!!!! everyone go check on her art and read what she write RIGHT NOW because golly i still can't beleive it's possible to be this talented

•i knit and crochet. a lot. too much

•@sceirlose & @idk-what-to-put-here-123 are my parents and i love them very much

• i'm half norwegian so i go there every years and you will see me posting about it

•orange and blue color combo offical biggest fan. i even have a tag for it it's #almost-night blue+warm orange from the windows i think

•i have three older brother :3

•@evanmp3 is my rp blog and i think you should join we still have a lot of free places and we're so funny and cool (to join ask @thedvilsinthedetails)

• you probably guessed that i play the harp, i've been for 8 years now, i'm in a concervatory and play in an orchestra :]

•i love uhhh music,,a lot,,,

• i'm very normal about everything (lying. if you couldn't tell)

•i want weird pets rn i NEED a tarentula and a snake and a lizard and a crow SO BAD it's not even funny i need them SO SO BAD PLEASE GOD LET ME HAVE THEM I WOULD TREAT THEM SO WELL,,,, I LOVE ANIMALS HLHKFKG *shaking crying sobbing etc*

•i love love love winnie the pooh and tagging me in Winnie the pooh stuffs is more than welcome

• i'm just a silly guy ya'll :3

• i'm in a qpr with the amazing @url0cal-weird0 <33

• I LOVE ART SO SO MUCH art history is so so so interesting and i will reblog a lot of art stuffs (i also do art (oil pastels my beloved) and will post it occasionally if i feel silly)

• also i'm uhh i'm a jellyfish.. and a whale shark..(literally. i'm therian)

• i'm trying so hard to make this intro post aesthetic and uhhh stuff but really i'm just a guy i promise i can't do anything serious in my life this is very hard for me please be kind :3

• how do you. make a cool intro post

(dividers by @roseraris and @the-blinkie-guy)

blinkies and userboxes!!

#intro post #can you. guys believe it #jupiter james sleepinginmygrave on tumblr dot com. has an intro post #CAN YOU BELIEVE IT #yes i know it's not finished i would have let this rot in my drafts for way longer if i didn't had like 200 followers #like uh. #i could not stay in this situation #please do not judge my shitty moodboards please i had to do with what's in my gallery because i have a problem with my wifi #oh my god #i'm super super embarassed to post this #but i have to #well #at least you guys will have some info about me until i make something pretty... #this is taking me SO MUCH ENERGY #dont know how you guys can do such pretty and cool intro posts effortlessly #like #how #ANYWAY #haha #moi #GOLLY #am i really gonna post this #yeah #well shit #Spotify

[sheafrotherdon]

Nicky wakes up early. It’s still dark as he climbs out of bed and picks up yesterday’s discarded t-shirt and jeans from the floor, pulls them on, and pads out into the shadowed hallway. Everyone is sleeping and will stay that way for a while, attuned as they are to the specific silence of the safe house. The scent of coffee will tell them when it’s time to wake.

The kitchen floor is cool beneath Nicky’s bare feet as he pulls flour and sugar from the cupboard, and finds his favored mixing bowl. He selects two oranges from the platter on the kitchen table. They’re a pleasant weight in his hands as he rinses them at the sink, and he smiles as he gently peels long strips of rind from each fruit, orange oil dampening his fingers.  He chops the rind into tiny pieces with a kitchen knife he keeps predictably sharp, and lets his mind wander.

They all came into this long life with midwinter rituals, rituals that pushed aside the darkness and kindled light. Andy’s rituals were, by the time Nicolo met her, casual habits and scraps of poetry from more places than she could name. Quynh would find the means to make lamps from whale oil and tallow, beeswax in later years, but always she would meet winter with the industry of her hands. Yusuf leaned toward fire, kindling and branches, logs or turf, more than once the pungent blaze of cow shit. Always he would smile; always he would sing. Always Nicky fell a little more in love.  And then came Nile, with traditions that ran from Santa to mass, to knitted stockings for each of them when she had the means, and Catholic rituals that Nicky recognized as echoes of his own. Last Christmas she had given Joe coal, and he had thrown back his head and roared with laughter, and called her fond and obscene names.

But it was solstice where Nicky felt most grounded, where the patient observation of darkness in its fullest expression brought quiet joy. Thus the oranges, the creaming of butter and sugar, the addition of flour that he never quite manages to avoid spilling on his shirt. Dropping the orange rind into his bowl, he turns his attention to chopping sweetened cranberries into small, tart bites, and mixing everything into a dough.

By the time the dough is chilled and the cookies cut into small, precise rounds, the oven is ready, and the coffee has been set to brew. Andy shuffles into the kitchen as the first of the solstice sweets are cooling on a rack, and Nicky smacks her hand away from the still-too-hot cookies, a ritual in and of itself.  She accepts coffee in lieu of food, pulls her knees up to her body, heels resting on the seat of the chair, and hunches inside her oversized sweater that has seen better days but is worn and well loved.  Nile follows, and after a time, Joe, and only then does Nicky slip the cookies onto a plate and set them on the table.

The sky outside turns from black to morning grey, and the people Nicky loves eat the best expression of sunlight he knows.  He wipes his hands on a towel and fills a mug with coffee, pulls out a chair and as Joe rests a hand on his knee, covers that hand with his own.

#solstice #a day early #but tomorrow is a travel day #joe x nicky #nicolo di genova #yusuf al kaysani #andromache the scythian #nile freeman #midwinter

[bethanythebogwitch]

All of my recent Wet Beast Wednesday posts have been about relatively small animals, so this time let's go big. This week's topic is on the sperm whale, a winner of multiple size-based records, including being the largest toothed predator and largest of the toothed whales. These absolute units are known for their famous rivalry with giant squid and their history with the whaling industry.

(image id: a mother sperm whale and her calf. They are both large, long, grey animals with squarish heads. The calf is behind the mother and about half the size. The calf also appears to have multiple remoras attached to it)

First of all, why is it called a sperm whale? When I started researching for this post, I thought it must be a quirk of translation or a word that changed meaning over time and surely couldn't be named after THAT sperm, right? Well, I'm sad to say that's not the case. It really is the cum whale. More specifically, it is named after spermaceti, a substance inside the whale's head, that was believed to be semen. Spermaceti even translates to "whale semen". Yeah I'm not happy about that either. Sperm whales are also called chacalots and nobody really knows why. There are suggestions that it comes from old French words for "big teeth" or the vulgar Latin word for a sword hilt. At least it's not sperm this time. Its scientific name is Physeter macrocephalus, which means "blowhole big head", which is also fortunately lacking in references to sperm.

(image id: a sperm whale seen from the font and left. It is just under the surface of the water, with the tip of its snout touching the surface.)

Sperm whales are big even by whale standards, though there are still baleen whales that are bigger. In an extreme example of sexual dimporhism, males can be 30 - 50% larger and three times as heavy as females. An average adult male reaches an average of 16 meters (52 ft) and 45000 kg (100000 lbs) while females reach an average size of 11 meters (36 ft) and 15000 kg (34000 lbs). The average sizes of sperm whales has decreased since record were first kept. This is likely a result of the largest individuals being targeted heavily by whalers, resulting in only the smaller animals being able to pass on their genes. Some recent studies suggest that trend may be beginning to reverse itself now that the animals are no longer actively hunted.

(image: two sperm whales seen from above. They are at the surface of the water, with their backs avome the surface. One of them is releasing a spout of water vapor from its blowhole)

Possibly the most notable feature of a sperm whale is that giant, square head. Cetacean heads contain melons, organs filled with oily or fatty tissue that are used in echolocation. Unlike other cetaceans, the sperm whale has two such organs: the spermaceti organ and the junk, the latter of which is analogous to the melons of other whales. The spermaceti organ is a sac filled with the spermaceti, a waxy substance composed largely of wax esters. Harvesting of the spermaceti was the main reason sperm whales were hunted as it could be used for lubrication and as candles and lamp oil. Spermaceti is liquid when within the whale and solidifies at around 30 degrees C. A single whale can hold up to 1,900 liters of spermaceti. An air tube runs through the head and ends in a pair of phonic lips (the sperm whale has a single pair while all other toothed whales have two pairs). The lips produce the clicks used in echolocation and that sound travels through the spermaceti and reflects off another organ called the frontal sac, which acts as a sound mirror. Think those satellite dishes that you can whisper into and people standing way away from you can hear it. The frontal sac reflects most of the sound through the junk, which amplified it further. The sound that does not go to the junk is reflected back and forward through the spermaceti organ to create multiple clicks with each vocalization. The spermaceti organ and junk amplify the sound of the clicks to such an extent that the sperm whale is the loudest animal on earth, capable of making 230 decibel clicks. That's louder than a jet engine at takeoff. Side note, why is a jet engine the default comparison for loud things? In addition to echolocation, sperm whales also use vocalizations to communicate with each other. Types of vocalizations are learned from parents, creating multiple distinct "dialects" of sperm whale sound. The Spermaceti organ and junk are also believed to add protective padding to the head. One hypothesis says that the spermaceti is also used in buoyancy regulation. The idea is that before a dive, the whale would pump cold water through tis head, cooling and solidifying the spermaceti to reduce buoyancy. Then on the dive, body heat and heat transfer would melt the spermaceti again, increasing buoyancy for the trip back to the surface. This hypothesis is considered poor due to a lack of evidence and the fact that solidifying the spermaceti would impede echolocation right when the whale would need it the most.

(image id: a diagram showing a side cross-section of a sperm whale's head. Most of the head is taken up by the spermaceti organ (top) and junk (below). Below the junk are the upper and lower jaw bones)

Sperm whales are master divers. They hunt in the deep ocean and of all marine mammals, only the elephant seal and Cuvier's beaked whale dive deeper. Their dives can reach up to 2,250 meters (7,382 ft) deep and can stay underwater for up to 2 hours, though most dives last around 45 minutes. To accommodate for such deep dives, special adaptations are needed. Their lungs can collapse under the pressure and their ribcages will close to protect them. The lung collapse reduced excess nitrogen intake (which can lead to nitrogen narcosis) and they can slow their metabolisms to reduce oxygen usage. Their muscles contain more myoglobin (which stores oxygen) and they more red blood cells than most animals. When oxygen levels get low, they can redirect blood flow to the brain and other essential systems. Their eyes are the largest of all toothed whales and they have good vision and sensitivity to light, helping them see in the deep ocean. Their jaws are also adapted to hunt their prey. The jaw is very skinny and has teeth only on the lower mandible. The teeth grow rings like trees, allowing them to be used to age whales. The teeth do not seem to be essential for feeding as toothless whales have been found still well-fed. They are carnivores who feed primarily on squid but will also eat octopi, bony and cartilaginous fish, and salps. While sperm whales are famous for eating giant squid, most of their diet is composed of medium-sized squid weighing between 12 and 650 grams (0.026 and 1.43 lbs). We do know they eat giant and colossal squid both from finding squid beaks in the stomachs of beached specimens and from the scars left by the suckers and hooks of the squid on the whales' skin. While classic depictions of the hunts depicted a titanic struggle between two equals, with the squid eating the whales just as the whales ate the squid. Now its believed that the fights are entirely one-sided with the whales winning the vast majority of encounters. Tagging has shown that the whales swim upside-down as they hunt. They are likely looking for the silhouettes of prey against the surface or for bioluminescence. They also hunt with echolocation. While it has been suggested that their sonar clicks are powerful enough to stun prey, recent research has show this is likely not the case. Sperm whales eat about 3% of their body weight every day. Sperm whales, as well as other deep-diving predators, help circulate nutrients in the ocean. They consume nutrients in the deep ocean, then defecate in surface waters, releasing those nutrients where they can fertilize plankton. This also helps carbon sequestration as phytoplankton fertilized by the feces remove carbon from the atmosphere and carry it to the deep sea when they die. It is calculated that whaling in the Southern Ocean resulted in a release of 2 million tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere each year.

(image id: a pod of sperm whaled beginning their descent into the deep sea. There are 8 individuals, three of which remain parallel to the surface of the water. The rest and aimed downward)

Like other cetaceans, sperm whales are social animals. Females and juveniles live in groups called pods while adult males live outside the pods either alone or in small groups of other bachelors. Sperm whales who live together do so in groups called social units that are often, but not always, the same as their pod. Leaving and joining social groups is rare, leaving their membership very stable. When socializing, sperm whales use unique patterns of clicks called codas. It was formerly thought that codas were used as names, not it is now known that whales will use multiple codas. They also spend time nuzzling each other. They are also believed to use group hunting tactics to herd prey. The only predator of adult sperm whales is the orca, and they prefer to target calves or weaker adults. Orca pods will attack sperm whale pods to try to isolate a vulnerable member. Pod members will protect these vulnerable members by circling them, usually facing tail-out. The tails are capable of delivering powerful blows that could kill an attacking orca. This formation is called a marguerite formation. Lone males may come to the defense of a nearby pod under attack. On some occasions, sperm whales will swim alongside other cetations and there is a recorded instance of a pod adopting a bottlenose dolphin with a spinal deformity for unknown reasons. Sperm whales sleep together, suspended vertically just under the surface. While most cetaceans only sleep half of their brain at a time, it is possible that sperm whales can sleep their entire brain at once.

(image id: a pod of sperm whales sleeping. There are six positioned vertically in the water, with their head facing up. A seventh members remains horizontal and appears to be awake)

An individual whale can live for up to 70 years. Females reach sexual maturity at age 9 and bear a single calf at a time. The calf will nurse for an average of 19 - 42 months, but sometimes significantly longer. Sperm whale milk is extremely fatty, consisting of 36% fat (compare to 6% fat in cow milk) and has a texture like cream cheese. This high fat content helps the juvenile develop its blubber and its thickness keeps it from dissolving the the water. While giving birth, a mother will be protected by other members of her pod. After birth, other pod members sometimes jostle and bite the newborn. Most females give birth every 4 to 20 years and these rates were higher during the peak of whaling years. Females seems to become infertile in their 40s. Older, post-fertile females will lead the pods and provide assistance to younger mothers. Males provide no parental care. A male will mate with multiple females and they do fight each other for dominance and access to mates, but do not form harems. Fights seem to involve ramming each other and biting.

(image id: a sperm whale calf nursing. The mother is positioned vertically and her front half extends beyond the picture's frame. The calf is suckling at her side near the ventral surface. A cloud of white milk is around its mouth)

Like other whales, sperm whales were highly affected by whaling. While the spermaceti was the main target of whalers, they were also hunted for their blubber, teeth, and ambergris. Ambergris is a substance that forms in the intestines in response to irritants. The sperm whale can't digest the squid beaks and while it can vomit out a lot of them, some pass into the intestines. To prevent the sharp beaks form damaging the intestines (which can reach 300 meters/948 ft long and are the longest of any animal), the bile duct secretes the ambergris to surround the beak and ease its passage. It can be considered analogous to an oyster forming a pearl around a grain of sand. Ambergris is a think, waxy substance known for its extremely pungent, fecal smell. It was famously used as a fixative in perfume recipes and was therefore incredibly valuable. Now that whaling is much rarer, most ambergris is found when it floats to shore and perfume companies have switched over to artificial fixatives. The teeth were used for their ivory and were often carved into ornamental pieces called scrimshaw. Sperm whales were notable for their ability to fight back against the whalers, often by ramming the boats. At least a few whaling ships were sunken by their would-be targets. Famously the sinking of the whaling ship Essex inspired the writing of the novel Moby Dick. Large whales, including sperm whales, were nearly driven to extinction by whaling. The International Whaling Commission gave the species legal protection in 1985, though Japan still hunts them and has caught an reported 51 individuals since 2000.The peak of sperm whaling happened in the 1960s, causing the population to drop dangerously low. Since then, the population has been recovering and is currently estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Sperm whales have recovered from whaling better than many other species and are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. Threats include illegal whaling, global climate change, and noise from ships that appears to increase beaching numbers.

(image id: a chunk of ambergris. It is an irregular object with multiple lumps. It is a pale orange color. Part of a squid beak is visible at the side, appearing as a smooth surface with a dark orange color)

jizz whale

#wet beast wednesday #sperm whale #biology #marine biology #zoology #ecology #whale #cetaceans #whaling #animal facts #ambergris #long post #pictures

[holeinthehedgerow]

Joanies Café

Joanies Café

Burned down the other day,

Only it’s a bike shop now,

An antique store before that,

But before then it was Joanies Café.

Where in the twilight of my youth I used to play,

On the first of my Friday nights away.

Where at a dimly lit cobweb-laden counter

I used to eat and drink for free,

No wonder the place went out of business,

Never saw anyone that came pay.

Even the cats got free room and board,

Joanie had a love for any stray,

And if it weren’t for their paw prints in the dust,

You would get lost in that labyrinth

Of antique oddities covered in must and rust,

And mannequins with their clothes half stitched,

And old portraits with their eyes bewitched.

In the attic that was said to be haunted we’d meet,

Lit by ethereal rays of moonlight through cracks,

And by the flickering of an old whale oil lamp,

Matt would sing,

I’d play the guitar,

Karen would be on the cello,

Evelyn would write poems,

While Aiden just read anything,

And everyone had a thing they’d do,

And the ghosts and shadows were our audience.

Joanies Café burned down a long time ago,

When all the strays found new homes,

Leaving behind tracks you could see from the moon.

Then the spiders’ homes were all swept up,

And the paw prints got all dusted away,

And then this bike shop on South Street,

Burned down the other day.

https://holeinthehedgerow.com/2024/03/31/joanies-cafe/

#poetry #creative writing #writing #art #spilled poetry #poems on tumblr #spilled ink #writers on tumblr #spilled thoughts #writers and poets #poem #poetrycommunity #poets on tumblr #original poem #my writing #writerscommunity #writeblr #short story #reading

[mysticwolfshadows]

Taken - Zutara - Part 12

First / Previous / Next

True to his word, Katara wakes just before dawn to find the Fire Nation ship buzzing with activity, already pulling out of the make shift dock. She sees Zuko standing near the bow, watching her as she races out onto the snow.

Inhaling, she calls out, hoping the ship isn't so far out that the icy wind snatches her voice away.

"Come back soon!" She shouts, waving her arm, just in case they can't hear her. "Be safe! I'll be waiting!"

On the ship, Zuko seems to stiffen, though it's hard to know for sure with how far the ship is quickly getting. Behind him, soldiers call back, a cacophony of sound, a few waving their own arms. Katara smiles, watching as Zuko turns, seeming to snap orders at them. He always had difficulty controlling his temper. It seemed the position of authority on a ship had done little to temper it.

For a while, Katara watched as the ship disappeared into the distance. Then, she watched the smoke trail slowly dissipate, waiting until there was no sign left of them.

She was determined to make Zuko know he was welcome in the South. Even if the village as a whole would always be wary, she would welcome him. He would have a home in the South, if he ever decided he couldn't return to the Fire Nation.

It was only three months before Zuko returned. The black snow was still fresh in the tribes mind from his last visit, and many looked to Katara as she beamed. There was no panic, only caution, as the ramp came down and Zuko led the way down.

Katara ran out to meet him, giving him a tight hug, noticing how the soldiers behind them were nudging and elbowing each other. They stopped as soon as she stepped back, acting as if it had never happened. She would have pointed it out, only...

Zuko had an odd look on his face. It was a bit red, and a bit pinched. For a moment, she wondered if something was wrong, but then her father and Bato were coming forward, distracting the prince. Iroh came forward to join them, and Katara tried to follow, only for the hopeless medic to come begging for help. Apparently there were a few injures that the man just didn't know what to do with.

She spent a good portion of time sitting in her hut, absently healing minor injures and peering out into the village. A few boxes and barrels were taken off and put in the tribes storehouse. In turn, a few barrels and sacks were taken out and moved to the ship. She asked one soldier about it, but all she got was a shrug and a vague answer about some kind of deal having been made between her father and Zuko.

When the soldiers are patched up, and Zuko is done with whatever secrets he and her father were sharing, she trudges through snow to find her wayward firebender.

"What were you talking about?" Katara demanded, as Zuko was left standing in the snow by the village gate. "And what was with all the boxes?"

Zuko wasn't a very figity sort, but he looked close to starting. "We have a trade agreement. Apparently, before... the raids made it difficult to, Earth Kingdom merchants would travel down to trade. Apparently most of the parts from things like octopus whale and whale walrus are very valuable in the Earth Kingdom. So he sends me with a bit of their excess, like the extra lamp oil and bones, and then I take it to Earth Kingdom and trade it for things your father says the tribe needs. Food, equipment..."

The odd look was back, and she wondered if there was something more. For now, not sure how long she would have, Katara was fine with letting it go. There would be time for more later.

First / Previous / Next

#fanfic idea #atla #avatar the last airbender #fanfic #katara #zuko #zutara #wip

[scotianostra]

On December 1st 1787, the first modern lighthouse in Scotland was lit at Fraserburgh.

Made by Thomas Smith and Robert Stevenson at Kinnaird Head, the lighthouse was built on top of a 16th-century castle, and is now Scotland’s Lighthouse Museum.Kinnaird Head near Fraserburgh, built on an 16th Century castle, was the first lighthouse to be put into operation by the Commissioners of Northern Lights, and sustained the most powerful lamps of their time.

The lamps were 17 whale oil filled burners and were said to be visible from 14 miles away.The lighthouse was constructed by Thomas Smith and his son in law Robert Stevenson, grandfather of author Robert Louis Stevenson, with a lantern set at a 120 feet above the sea on a corner of Kinnaird Head Castle. Each oil-burning lamp was backed by a parabolic reflector and arranged in three horizontal lines to produce a powerful beam for seamen working some of the toughest waters in Europe.

Previously, coal fires had generally been used to guide sailors to safety. Mr James Park, a ship’s master, was appointed “Keeper of the light” at 1/- per night, The appointment was made on condition he had another person with him at the lighthouse every night, who he was to instruct in cleaning the lanterns and lighting the lamps. Whale oil was brought to Kinnaird Head by Smith, a tin smith of Broughty Ferry, which was a major whaling port of the day.

In 1824, a new lighthouse tower was built within the original castle tower with Robert Stevenson building a new lantern and reflector array.

In 1929, another first was recorded for Kinnaird Head when it took possession of a radio beacon. During WWI, enemy bombers struck the lighthouse only once despite repeated, heavy bombardments on the surrounding area due to Fraserburgh’s ammunition works. Records show that on 19 February 1941, two bombs from an aircraft exploded 50 yards from the Lighthouse Buildings. Damage included 41 panes of broken glass.

The Wine Tower at the lighthouse is the only surviving remnant of the old castle, and in fact is the oldest building in all Fraserburgh. Legend tells us that Isobel the daughter of Alexander Fraser, 8th laird of Philorth had fallen in love with a servant piper, and that the laird was not happy about this. So to separate the two the laird had the piper tied-up in the cave under the Wine Tower known as Selches Hole (Seals Hole). The laird then locked-up his daughter in the uppermost floor of the tower and retired to Kinnaird Castle.

Unfortunately for the servant there was an abnormally high tide due to a storm, and the poor man drowned. When Isobel the laird’s daughter was informed of her lover’s fate, she was distraught and committed suicide by jumping from the top of the tower onto the rocks below. The rock that she fell on is still painted red to this day. It is said that Isobel is seen prior to bad weather, and when the weather is bad it is said that you can hear the skirl of the pipes being played by the ghost of the piper for his lost love

#scotland #scottish #history #lighthouse #Aberdeenshire #maritime safety

[susoriginals]

Antique Miniature Jeweler Alcohol Whale Oil Lamp by Benedict & Burnham Predecessor to Modern Day Bunsen Burner Victorian era

#antique jewelers lamp #antique whale oil lamp #BEnedict & Burnham lamp #Victorian bunsen burner #Victorian lab lamp #Antique miniature alcohol lamp #antique miniature oil lamp #antique miniature whale oil lamp #antique miniature watchmakers lamp #antique watchmakers lamp #antique cigar lighter #Victorian cigar lighter #1840s oil lamp #1840s lamp #1850s lamp #1840s lighting #antiques

[intj-greenwords]

Ishmael engages in theological debate on Jonah and the whale:

Sag-Harbor whaleman (explaining his disbelief in the story of Jonah): The story of Jonah couldn’t be true. The Right Whale’s swallow is so small, Jonah would never have made it into the whale’s belly.

Bishop Jebb (not perturbed): The Right Whale’s mouth is large enough to have temporarily accommodated Jonah without ever needing to make his way to the whale’s belly.

Ishmael (getting excited): Indeed, the Right Whale’s mouth is so large, Jonah may have ensconced himself in a hollow tooth!

Really Ishmael??

Ishmael (calming down): On second thoughts, perhaps not. The Right Whale is toothless. Oops.

Sag-Harbour: Anyway, if Jonah had been incarcerated in the whale's body, he would have been consumed by the whale’s digestive juices.

Ishmael (citing an unnamed German exegetist): It is possible that Jonah took refuge in the floating body of a dead whale.

Ishmael: (citing other unnamed commentators): It is possible that when Jonah was thrown overboard, he was actually picked up by another sailing vessel nearby, possibly called the “Whale” (as some craft are nowadays christened “Shark”, “Gull” or “Eagle)”.

Sag-Harbor (not giving up): Even so it would not be possible for the whale to vomit Jonah up after three days at Nineveh, which was more than three days away.

Ishmael (quoting a Portuguese Catholic Priest): "This was clearly a miracle!"

Ishmael (for emphasis): And so it was!

Ismael (this is his homily for today's chapter): And what’s more, there is a Turkish mosque built in honor of Jonah, in which a miraculous lamp burns without any oil.

Ishmael, my man, don't give up your day job. Theological apologetics is not for you.

#whale weekly #lx reads moby dick #chapter 83

[terrapwaters]

Friends, my short story Ancient Hearts Unearthed, will be included in Aether Beyond the Binary, an anthology from Duck Prints Press (@duckprintspress). Above is the awesome cover art by non-binary artist Mar Spragge. Our Kickstarter runs through January 25th! It’s all about characters outside the binary (nonbinary, agender, genderqueer, etc.) in an aetherpunk setting! We’re almost 60% funded with 16 days left.

Here’s an excerpt from my story about a pair of archeologists exploring a newly uncovered cave:

Sasha almost ran into Victoria, stopping short. Over her shoulder, they saw the cavern wall. The appearance of the rock was unusual enough to draw Sasha’s attention to the fact that they’d come to a dead end. “Those markings are too regular to be natural.” They stepped around Victoria and reached out to run their fingers over the rock, feeling the way shapes had been carved into it. “They’re pictographs. Or runes, perhaps?” They turned to Victoria. “What does the ancient rune expert have to say about them?” “I’m…” She took a long, silent moment to look at the wall, moving her light around and tracing the shapes with her fingers. “I can’t see them well enough. We need the supplies to make rubbings. And more light.” “Where can we get anything other than aetherwork light sources?” “Candles, I suppose.” Victoria looked down at her hand, pressing the red light on and off. “Or some sort of electricity lamp.” She snickered. “Whale oil?” Then Victoria turned and ran a hand over the runes again. “What bothers me is that these are early Age of Aether markings. You see the way they’re using archaic forms of our letters?” Sasha leaned closer. “I’ll be damned. This doesn’t match the bronze era artifacts in the rest of the cave, either.” They made a tiny humming noise. “Who else would have this much knowledge of ancient runes?” As Victoria leaned as close as she could to the wall, she asked distractedly, “What do you mean?” “Obviously, it’s a fake,” they said, mulling over the problem in their head. “Sanderson has wanted my place on the admissions committee since he joined the department.” “What if it’s not a fake?” Victoria made a tiny, excited noise. “What if this is early Aether Age work? What if this is a secret that’s been buried for almost a thousand years?” Sasha’s heart swooped at the thought. “We have to find out what that inscription says.”

If you want to find out what happens next, please back our kickstarter campaign!

#queer fiction #terra writes things #duck prints press #aether beyond the binary #writers of tumblr #writeblr #writing community

[focsle]

Hi I have a boat question that is hard to search on the Internet, and you and your blog came to mind

How did fire for lighting work on a boat? I can see it not being a problem on deck cause of the moisture but we're there safeguards aside from caged lamps to prevent fire from breaking out in drier parts? Like I can't imagine being blaisé about that when there's gunpowder nearby

It's a very specific potentially quite boring subject so I understand if you don't feel interested in looking up or talking about it, but I was reading a pirate novel and my interest was piqued

There weren’t a lot of places where fires were lit on a ship. You had the galley stove, which to prevent burning the deck was often on a raised platform of bricks and sheets of metal. Some smaller stoves had gimbals so they were elevated slightly and would roll with the ship. Same with, for a whaler, the tryworks which is basically just a giant oven on the deck. That would be raised on a platform of checkerboard-laid brick surrounded by a wooden frame. The frame would be filled with sea water that would flow between the lattice of bricks to prevent it from setting fire to the deck.

For lighting, wall mounted oil lamps or candles were often on gimbals, so they’d sway with the ship and thus always be level.

My fav whale oil lamps were, yes, these caged lamps that also had the same gimbal mechanism:

With that said, ships were mostly quite dark. Fuel was often very limited (though whalers spent it a little more freely since it was their entire cargo and they could spare a bit more sometimes), and there was also an awareness that a ship was indeed flammable and often carried a flammable cargo, so fires weren’t lit superfluously. Candles were probably the least commonly used form of lighting once oil lamps came in that could be hung or mounted to a wall. Natural daylight was relied on too. For captains, they often had a big skylight in their staterooms. But even below decks, deck prisms helped bring light below in a way that is incredibly effective at lighting a space:

That blue light is entirely from that deck prism that’s glowing near like a lightbulb, and that was on a completely overcast day. But once it gets dark you’re kinda outta luck.

#asks #hungerpaste