Adventure Stories

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Does anybody have any good adventure stories?

I'll share one...

When I was 9 years old I was living in Kingston, Jamaica. Just off shore was the submerged city of Port Royal. It was destroyed by an earthquake on June 7, 1692. One can still find artifacts underwater or on shore. The city was a pirate haven and it was known as the "Sodom of the New World," the richest and most wicked city in the Western Hemisphere during its day. Its destruction was the subject of many contemporary sermons who saw the hand of God's judgment at work.

My family and friends sailed out Kingston Harbor to an island called Gun Cay. On the way we passed an island where pirates were once executed. We spent much of the day collecting shells and other souvenirs like coral. A sudden gust of wind blew our boat away across the water back to the mainland (Jamaica). The area was known for sharks and shark attacks and my father cut his chest on a coral reef swimming after the sailboat so he terminated the chase and we found ourselves marooned on a desert island. We were short on supplies and very parched. About four hours later we flagged a fisherman down and the male adults went back to retrieve our boat leaving us there. The winds were too high and the rudder actually broke as they tried to sail back to pick us up. We watched all of this from the island and tried not to panick. Finally, they hitched another ride and brought us back to Jamaica. Our danger was never extreme, but in God's providence it made for an adventure story to remember once we were back safe and sound.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

Andrew,
Why did you live in Jamaica? And what flag is that in your avatar?

[Edited on 7-4-2005 by puritancovenanter]

 

[Plimoth Thom]

Originally posted by puritancovenanter
And what flag is that in your avatar?
[Edited on 7-4-2005 by puritancovenanter]

It's the Saltire, or St. Andrew's Cross, the national flag of Scotland.

It has been believed by generations of Scotsmen that the national flag, the white saltire on a blue background, the oldest flag in Europe, originated in a battle fought here in Athelstaneford in the Dark Ages between the Picts and Scots on the one side and the Angles of Northumbria on the other.

There are various versions of the tale to be found in the older Scottish historians. They are generally agreed, however, that an army of the Picts under their King Angus (or Hungus) aided by a contingent of the Scots was invading Lothian (then and for long afterwards Northumbrian territory), and found itself surrounded by an overwhelming force of the Angles under their leader Athelstan. King Angus and his host prayed earnestly for deliverance to God and the saints. That night St. Andrew ( the Patron Saint of Scotland ) appeared to the king and promised him victory.

Next day. when battle was joined, the vision of a white saltire (the diagonal cross on which the Apostle had been martyred) was seen by all against the blue sky. This so encouraged the Picts and Scots and affrighted their adversaries that the former won a signal victory.

In the pursuit, so the tradition goes on, the Northumhrian leader Athelstan was slain at the crossing of the Peffer or Cogtail Burn, the site of which is marked by Athelstaneford Mains Farm, about half a mile south-east of the village.

The Saltire is also known as the Saint Andrew's Cross.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by puritancovenanter
Andrew,
Why did you live in Jamaica? And what flag is that in your avatar?

[Edited on 7-4-2005 by puritancovenanter]

I lived in Jamaica because my father is an anthropologist who specialized in Caribbean culture studies. I lived on a number of other Caribbean islands as well, particularly Dominica. (I had a British accent as a kid.)

The flag is the St. Andrew's Cross, the Scottish national flag.

The 1320 Declaration of Arbroath, which declared Scottish independence from England, cites Scotland's conversion to Christianity by St. Andrew, "the first to be an Apostle", as evidence of Scotland being held in especially high regard by God.

Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, and Romania. The flag of Scotland (and consequently the Union Flag and the arms and Flag of Nova Scotia) feature a saltire in commemoration of the shape of St. Andrew's cross.

Saint Andrew's Cross can refer to the national Flag of Scotland, a white saltire on a blue field, or the naval jack of Russia, a blue saltire on a white field. The origin of the name is because St. Andrew is a patron saint of both Russia and Scotland and he is said to have been martyred on a diagonal cross.

[Edited on 7-4-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot

Originally posted by puritancovenanter
Andrew,
Why did you live in Jamaica? And what flag is that in your avatar?

[Edited on 7-4-2005 by puritancovenanter]

I lived in Jamaica because my father is an anthropologist who specialized in Caribbean culture studies. I lived on a number of other Caribbean islands as well, particularly Dominica. (I had a British accent as a kid.)

The flag is the St. Andrew's Cross, the Scottish national flag.

The 1320 Declaration of Arbroath, which declared Scottish independence from England, cites Scotland's conversion to Christianity by St. Andrew, "the first to be an Apostle", as evidence of Scotland being held in especially high regard by God.

Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, and Romania. The flag of Scotland (and consequently the Union Flag and the arms and Flag of Nova Scotia) feature a saltire in commemoration of the shape of St. Andrew's cross.

Saint Andrew's Cross can refer to the national Flag of Scotland, a white saltire on a blue field, or the naval jack of Russia, a blue saltire on a white field. The origin of the name is because St. Andrew is a patron saint of both Russia and Scotland and he is said to have been martyred on a diagonal cross.

You are full of surprizes Andrew. I had never notice the Flag of Scotland. Thanks

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

No adventure stories, anyone?

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Don't be sorry, man! Ah, the imagination of our youth! Thanks for sharing, Rambo!

 

[Joseph Ringling]

When I was 9 years old a buddy and I were walking down the street and I happened to notice four men sitting in a parked car. Three of them got out of the car and proceeded to walk towards the neighborhood convienience store. I thought it kind of odd because they had parked rather far away and I told my friend to remember the first part of the licence plate number and I would remember the other half. A few minutes later we seen the guys running away from the store and one of them had the cash register.

When the police came we gave them the licence plate number and they asked us to look at some mug shots and we identified one of the guys that was the driver. They did catch the guys shortly thereafter. Turns out they robbed about twelve stores that week. We had to go to court but never had to testify in front of the judge. We both got a whopping SIX dollars for all of our troubles.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
When I was 9 years old I was living in Kingston, Jamaica. Just off shore was the submerged city of Port Royal. It was destroyed by an earthquake on June 7, 1692.

Historical note for June 7 -- this is the anniversary of one of the greatest natural (providential) disasters of the seventeenth century.