War and Wilderness: British Soldiers in Revolutionary America
historytoday.com
War and Wilderness: British Soldiers in Revolutionary America
1–10 of 42 posts
Re: War and Wilderness: British Soldiers in Revolutionary America
#2This story from Central America is particularly gruesome.
> In early April, an unfortunate British soldier walked into a snake that was hanging from a branch. It bit him in the eye. ‘He felt such intense pain’, a physician noted, ‘that he was unable to proceed’. Though the man’s comrades attempted to suck the venom from him, the man died ‘with all the symptoms of putrefaction’: bloated, skin coloured yellow, his eye dissolved.
I can't imagine trying to suck venom from someone's eye.
Re: War and Wilderness: British Soldiers in Revolutionary America
#3A question for folks living there, or visited - are the description of fauna at least a bit accurate? Ie oversized mosquitoes (where swamps were not completely drained hundred years ago). Easily 2x the size of regular central european ones (or anywhere I've been really, including malaric ones).
As an European, the biggest ones I've seen were in northern Scandinavia. Huge guys, massive swarms of them, sitting on people and backpacks in hundreds as they walked. Te only protection was thick clothing over everything.
Still, any exposed part of skin had 10-20 bites easily. They were harmless, and once I've got used to that weren't itching, as long as I didn't accidentally scratched/bruised over them.
Re: War and Wilderness: British Soldiers in Revolutionary America
#4A question for folks living there, or visited - are the description of fauna at least a bit accurate? Ie oversized mosquitoes (where swamps were not completely drained hundred years ago). Easily 2x the size of regular central european ones (or anywhere I've been really, including malaric ones). As an European, the biggest ones I've seen were in northern Scandinavia. Huge guys, massive swarms of them, sitting on peopl…
It hard to say because at least here in New England, a lot of the swamps have been long drained.
But if it's anything like the wetlands or swamps that remain - you'd have to be utterly naive or completely insane to try and cross them on foot. Pools of shallow water among sludgey mounds of mud and incrediblely dense and tangled vegetation. It's not even something you would consider entering, much less try and cross.
Re: War and Wilderness: British Soldiers in Revolutionary America
#5A question for folks living there, or visited - are the description of fauna at least a bit accurate? Ie oversized mosquitoes (where swamps were not completely drained hundred years ago). Easily 2x the size of regular central european ones (or anywhere I've been really, including malaric ones). As an European, the biggest ones I've seen were in northern Scandinavia. Huge guys, massive swarms of them, sitting on peopl…
Not in most of the US, but the ones in Alaska can mummify a water buffalo in under 5 minutes.
Running joke is that the mosquito is "Alaska's state bird"
Re: War and Wilderness: British Soldiers in Revolutionary America
#6A question for folks living there, or visited - are the description of fauna at least a bit accurate? Ie oversized mosquitoes (where swamps were not completely drained hundred years ago). Easily 2x the size of regular central european ones (or anywhere I've been really, including malaric ones). As an European, the biggest ones I've seen were in northern Scandinavia. Huge guys, massive swarms of them, sitting on peopl…
There are very large mosquitoes that do not consume blood (eat other mosquitoes iirc) like the smaller ones. I’ve seen these in Texas.
Re: War and Wilderness: British Soldiers in Revolutionary America
#7I was told a story when I was younger (take it with a grain of salt I cannot find anything to corroborate it). The British embassy use to offer (maybe still does) "Tropical" pay for individuals stationed in temperate climates. Washington D.C. was considered a tropical location for years because of the notorious swampy and muggy conditions experienced in the warmer seasons. Stationed diplomats knew of this hazard/tropic pay and wanted to keep it, and when leaders would come to visit they would exasperate the conditions by turning off the AC. One year some time in the 80's they forgot to turn off the AC during a prime minister visit, and at that point the tropical pay was revoked.
Also fun fact they also have a Pub in the basement of the embassy.
Re: War and Wilderness: British Soldiers in Revolutionary America
#8A question for folks living there, or visited - are the description of fauna at least a bit accurate? Ie oversized mosquitoes (where swamps were not completely drained hundred years ago). Easily 2x the size of regular central european ones (or anywhere I've been really, including malaric ones). As an European, the biggest ones I've seen were in northern Scandinavia. Huge guys, massive swarms of them, sitting on peopl…
> Huge guys, massive swarms of them, sitting on people and backpacks in hundreds as they walked.
They sound like sandflies. I wouldn’t expect mosquitoes that far north.
Re: War and Wilderness: British Soldiers in Revolutionary America
#9A question for folks living there, or visited - are the description of fauna at least a bit accurate? Ie oversized mosquitoes (where swamps were not completely drained hundred years ago). Easily 2x the size of regular central european ones (or anywhere I've been really, including malaric ones). As an European, the biggest ones I've seen were in northern Scandinavia. Huge guys, massive swarms of them, sitting on peopl…
> Huge guys, massive swarms of them, sitting on people and backpacks in hundreds as they walked. They sound like sandflies. I wouldn’t expect mosquitoes that far north.
I wouldn’t expect mosquitoes that far north.
Alaska would like a word. Worst mosquitoes (both in size and number) I’ve ever experienced were at the Arctic Circle campground. They’re so big, they don’t even make a buzzing sound, it’s more like “flap, flap, flap”. (I exaggerate only slightly.)
Re: War and Wilderness: British Soldiers in Revolutionary America
#10A question for folks living there, or visited - are the description of fauna at least a bit accurate? Ie oversized mosquitoes (where swamps were not completely drained hundred years ago). Easily 2x the size of regular central european ones (or anywhere I've been really, including malaric ones). As an European, the biggest ones I've seen were in northern Scandinavia. Huge guys, massive swarms of them, sitting on peopl…
Florida has some aggressive species like the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus that are known for spreading diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. We used to chase after the mosquito truck spraying DEET as kids