Ahhh, the holidays, when liquid refreshments abound. Steven van Roode shared Joseph Bank’s account of excessive libations aboard the Endeavour on Christmas Day in 1768. When the December 1874 transit of Venus concluded, some sailors in the Pacific again turned to liquid mirth on New Year’s Day.
For the 1874 transit of Venus expedition, the New York Times printed stories written by “Our Special Correspondent” aboard the ship Swatara as it shuttled around Hobart Town, Queenstown, Chatham Island, and other harbors. While the Swatara was lying in Port Chalmers, New Zealand, on December 30 the French naval team arrived from Campbell Island, but like most of the New Zealand observers, they had been frustrated by poor weather–clear the days before and after the transit, but cloudy for the main event. With a fog of disappointment in the air, the Swatara put out to sea. Soon thereafter, all sorts of liquids appeared. The New York Times correspondent writes,
We left Port Chalmers late in the afternoon of December 30, and spent New Year’s Day at sea. Of course the usual calls could not be omitted, and many of the officers held burlesque receptions in their own rooms. The refreshments which they offered their visitors were really wonderful, especially the drinkables. One enterprising gentleman included in his list such choice decoctions as Arnold’s writing fluid, red ink, muriatic acid, and oil of vitriol, any one of which was strong enough to kill at forty rods.
However, he did not disguise the character of his beverages. On the contrary, he asked all comers “what poison they would take,” and, so far as I know, they, one and all, declined anything stronger than champagne or sherry.
A sailor’s delight ensued, by virtue of geography and the artifice of longitude, in which the opportunity to celebrate repeated.
We crossed the 180th meridian on the 2d of January, and thus had two New Years’ Days, which gives rise to some interesting questions as to whether or not we lost a year…
Beverages have flowed in past transits of Venus, and will continue to be featured in 2012. For the 2004 transit of Venus, the former Mishawaka Brewing Company crafted a specialty Transit of Venus Sunrise Ale for the occasion with six commemorative labels. In 2012, there will be a Chasing Venus wine from Crew Wine in the Marlborough region of New Zealand, a Venusian ale from The Livery in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and a Black Drop coffee from Victorian Pantry in Granger, Indiana. Perhaps in the works are a transit-related vodka in Indiana and a few ales in England. Please let me know if you hear of other quaffing opportunities.
As we start the 2012 calendar–a device to impose tangible order into the earth’s regular motion–I expect more people will now take note of the approaching June phenomenon. Suddenly it’s only 156 days away. Fortunately for us sailors, the transit of Venus wine is ready, the beer is brewing, and the coffee is being shipped. Now, I’ll drink to that. ”To Pingre!”
Wishing you all a Happy New Orbit.
follow us on twitter