Penatanguishine

We are still in Penatang; we had both the mechanic and the manager of the marina on the boat today trying to diagnose the problem. The fuel injection pump has now been sent away for testing and hopefully repair, should be back tomorrow.
Walked up to Discovery Harbour for the guided tour - very interesting. There once was a full naval base here, then it was replaced with an army base, all in the interest of defending Canada and the Great Lakes. The army base was moved here from Drummond Island when that became US territory. They have maintained houses from the period, as well they have recreated two boats as they would have looked in the 1820's.  A few things I learned from the tour:

• seamen were given rope and some canvas when they joined the navy; out of that each man had to fashion his own hammock. That hammock was used to sleep in, it was also used to store his possessions. If the ship was under attack, the hammock with all of the seaman's possessions was laid along with all of the others along the side of the ship so that if a cannonball hit the side of the ship, the splinters went into the canvas and clothing rather than into the men. Also, if the man died, he was rolled up in his hammock and it was sewn shut. The last stitch went into either his lip or his nose to ensure that he was not faking. (since he was about to be thrown into the water sewn into a canvas hammock, not sure that I see the value of faking).
• A man named Bayfield was given the task after the war of 1812 to chart all of the great lakes. He made charts that are accurate to this day; the comment was that only GPS would be more accurate.
• Either living conditions changed considerably between the 1820's and the 1840's, or the army was willing to spend more money to support their men. There was quite a difference between the two areas.
• The surgeon had laudanum for pain control for the officers, but used sugar and water for the ordinary seamen.

Guide describing the hammocks at Discovery Harbour

Laudanum for the important people, sugar water for the less so.

Pill Maker from the 1820's