A LIVING HISTORY BLOG.

18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Life in the woods.




In the woods we were under some disadvantage, having no fire-works nor bells for our horses, but we stopped a little before night and let them feed on the wild grass, which was plentiful, in the mean time cutting with our knives a store against night. We then secured our horses, and gathering some bushes under an oak we lay down; but the mosquitoes being numerous and the ground damp I slept but little.

Journal of John Woolman. 1720-1742.

Either they did not know how to use the locks on their guns to make fire, or they had no guns!

7 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

It would be interesting to know; wouldn't it?

Keith said...

Having flicked through the rest of Woolman's Journal Gorges, I think the latter. Very religeous & no mention of guns or hunting.

Moad said...

I have read Woolman and a lot of other early Quakers who were in traveling ministry and I can say that it would have been most unusual for them to be carrying a gun of any sort. I am a Conservative Friend, Quaker, as Woolman was and because of the "Peace Testimony" it is not the practice to put yourself into the position of having to possibly to use the weapon you are carrying to hurt another human being. I personally would carry a weapon in his circumstances, each Friend has there own feelings on the peace testimony. The early Quaker Journals are a great wealth of info concerning this time frame.

Moad said...

I have read Woolman and a lot of other early Quakers who were in traveling ministry and I can say that it would have been most unusual for them to be carrying a gun of any sort. I am a Conservative Friend, Quaker, as Woolman was and because of the "Peace Testimony" it is not the practice to put yourself into the position of having to possibly to use the weapon you are carrying to hurt another human being. I personally would carry a weapon in his circumstances, each Friend has there own feelings on the peace testimony. The early Quaker Journals are a great wealth of info concerning this time frame.

Keith said...

Thank you my friend. Your input is very much appreciated.
Regards.

Keith said...

Thank you my friend. Your input is very much appreciated.
Regards.

Moad said...

Your welcome Le Loup........Hope all is well with you and yours in the home camp.