Why 15 men sat on a Dead Man’s Chest

[trikikiwi]

Why 15 men sat on a Dead Man’s Chest
The mystery of the pirates’ song, “Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest, yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum,” from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island , has been solved. Until now, its meaning has baffled readers and Stevenson himself never offered any explanation.

The answer is provided by Geographical, published by the Royal Geographical Society, by an explorer who says Dead Mans Chest is part of the British Virgin Islands .


In the early 1700s, says Quentin van Marle , the pirate Edward Teach – known as “ Blackbeard ” – punished a mutinous crew by marooning them on Dead Man’s Chest, an island 250 yards square surrounded by high cliffs and without water or landing places. Each was given a cutlass and a bottle of rum, and Teach’s hope was that they would kill each other. But when he returned at the end of 30 days he found that 15 had survived.

This would explain in full the verse:

Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
There is no food on the island, Mr van Marle says, which is occupied by pelicans, lizards, non-poisonous snakes – and mosquitoes. It has never been developed for tourism because of its inaccessibility.


Dead Chest Island is to the North East of Peter Island

It is described as “eerie and infamous” on a local calendar. Mr van Marle, who discovered the true story by studying local history and folklore, was himself marooned on it in 1969 when he lost his outboard motor while on a scuba trip.

This article was written in the mid 1990’s by Adrian Berry, who was Science Correspondent for one of the major British Broadsheets (unfortunately we don’t know which one). It has been kindly brought to our attention by LJS Trust supporter Barry Wright .

Charts and pictures included with the article on this link

http://www.longjohnsilvertrust.co.uk...dmanschest.htm

Cheers, Mike

[Kentucky Kache]

That's an Interesting bit of info. Thanks.

[godisnum1]

That's awesome... here's Dead Men's Chest (the island), and it sure does look desolate! Too bad they were so close to another big island to their SW and probably could have made rafts out of palm trees with their cutlasses and got off the island...

Bran <><

[godisnum1]

Consider this, IF the Geographic story is correct, why would the part of the shanty about "the drink" and "a bottle of rum" have anything to do with Dead [Man's] Chest Island? Did Blackbeard leave a keg of rum with the men he stranded on the island? Not likely! No, much more credible when thinking in terms of a sea chest and those pirates still left alive to fight over its contents.

Each was given a cutlass and a bottle of rum, and Teach’s hope was that they would kill each other.

This would explain in full the verse:

Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!

Cheers, Mike

[trikikiwi]

Aarrhh, a lively debate me 'arties

I have heard of the dead seaman's sea chest also - but why the words "Drink and the Devil had done the rest" ?

I am remembering (surprisingly, I am still able to) the devastating affect on me and others,
of the rum they once served in the NZ Navy (my brother served and bro-in-law still serves)

Hence, I am quite prepared to understand Mr Teach's psychology.

Mike

[Montana Jim]

This was a great read... full of controvery and excitment!

Arrrr....

[EDDE]

i just pooped on the deck

[godisnum1]

LOL, I have no experience with rum so I will defer to the NZ Navy. And thank you, godisnum1, for pointing out my oversight. You have a new convert to the Geographic Society's understanding of the song. And that I say, me hearties, with a wave of the cutlass and a glint in my unpatched eye. Sail on!!!!

I wasn't saying that I agreed with the assessment of the song, I was simply referring back to the the original explanation made by trikikiwi. I wasn't living with Blackbeard at the time, nor have I looked into the actual historical accounts of the said mutiny (that's such a fun word!), so I couldn't possibly validify the claims made. It is an interesting read though, regardless.
So believe whomever you'd like on this one...

Bran <><

[trikikiwi]

I just gotta ask…isn’t this a fictional song from a novel?

Treasure Island , Robert Louis Stevenson

hear the tune and see another version here

http://www.privateerdragons.com/caseys_shiphold1a.html

[Urban Prospector]

My Son thought the map to the chest (treasure) was tattooed on the dead pirates chest (Front of torso) and 15 sought it.There's a literary term for it like double conundrum or in-dundrum. My dad says it's similar to notches on a six gun. I says 16 went ashore to bury the chest and only one returned. The other 15 were killed and thrown in the hole on top of the chest. Who's going to dig past the bodies to find the chest and theres less dirt needed to fill the hole. I guess it works as literary device to provoke imaginative thought.