Ching Shih, The Pirate Queen of the China Sea.

Piracy in the South China Sea, early 19th Century gives a good impression of massed pirate fleet in action

From Canton across the South China sea to the edge of the Philippines the Red Flags of Pirate Junks waved in the fragrant breeze. These were the ships of the greatest pirate fleet ever to sail the sea, the only true pirate confederation to actually exist and it was all headed up by one very mysterious woman named Ching Shih. There’s allot of information out there about Shih, and most of it is either unrealistic, unprovable, tentative or just wrong. If you believe most internet sites then you will come off with the impression she took on the world and won. Well it didn’t quite happen that way and the it’s time for the Internet to step back from sensationalising her. This (so far be understood) is the real story. Continue reading “Ching Shih, The Pirate Queen of the China Sea.”

The Duke and the Tsar part 1.

The Duke of Wellington by Lawrence.

I’ll bet allot of you don’t know about the Duke of Wellington’s mission to St Petersburg in 1826. Well I wasn’t too familiar with it either, so I looked into it and found a great story, so after having my Adventure I had to let you all know about it, this is the story of the Duke and the Tsar, or more accurately of the St Petersburg Protocol, mysterious isn’t it? Continue reading “The Duke and the Tsar part 1.”

Waitangi, A Beginning.

Good modern painting of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Kia Ora adventurers!

Today is the 6th of February, and in New Zealand that means Waitangi day. A celebration marking the founding of this mad, crazy adventurous country, that is the home of legendary mountain climbers, the best lamb and honey you’re likely to taste, championship Rugby teams who do enviously cool haka’s that make everyone else look lame, small furry creatures with long noses and bird feet, scenery that reminds you of mythical worlds and the home of Bungee Jumping. So here’s a little history to the event starting with a few New Zealand dates. Continue reading “Waitangi, A Beginning.”

Veterans of Aliwal 1846-1896

I’ve just found this web page, I suppose that’s the right word? And it’s got photo’s from 1896 the jubilee, so it says with wonderful Victorianity, of the Waterloo of India, Aliwal, were one of Wellington’s most successful Peninsular officers, Sir Harry Smith, showed he at least had learned something about fighting during those years in Spain. Voted 5th Greatest Battle in the 2013 National Army Museum poll.
To be specific they are soldiers of the 16th Lancers who broke the Sikh squares, or rather triangles as the case may be, at the decisive battle during the first Anglo Sikh War. A little know commander, a little known battle and a little known war, -and photo’s of the men who were there, what more could you want?

http://www.soldiersofthequeen.com/page12-BattleofAliwalVeterans1896.html

Josh.

A big thank you.

Last year over double the amount of people visited Historyland that visited in 2012. Through your comments, favourites and tweets I have been able to thank some of you for coming, I hope you will enjoy what I do just as much in 2014 as you did before.
So to all of you that I couldn’t thank before. I say.
Thank you.
Gracias.
Merci.
Danke.
Well you get the picture.

See you soon for another Adventure in Historyland.

Josh.

2013 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 9,400 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Historyland Funnies.

Since it’s getting on to Christmas time I thought as a sort of seasonal offering I would start putting together a few of the History cartoons I have made. I’ll keep adding as I go, but for now Merry Christmas and I hope it makes you smile.

SANTALEE

Merry Christmas from Historyland.

Josh.

Marlborough’s Hero’s part 4: Discipline.

French Soldiers dolling out a gauntlet punishment on a comrade. Punishments were harsher in Protestant Armies like the British.

Discipline

Time to continue with Marlborough’s Hero’s…

It’s and average morning for the men of Lord —-more’s regiment encamped and quartered on the town of —–bridge. At parade however the adjutant reads out an order at the head of the battalion. “It is so ordered that one Lucy Hamilton, a necessary woman from the town, who was found being smuggled into camp in the company of private sentinel Jones, will this morning be escorted out of the camp, as per standing orders, sentinel Jones is hereby awarded 12 lashes for flagrant disregard of said orders blasphemous language and insubordination, punishment to be administered after the Sabbath”

Continue reading “Marlborough’s Hero’s part 4: Discipline.”