MDMD(5)---Chap 14 Notes

[Eric Alan Weinstein]

MDMD (5)--------NOTES

146."Our daily lives to distant stars attuned"---sure, its a logical
thing for Mason to write to Dixon. But it also sounds like a quote
or a near-quote. If so, from where, by whom, and in what context.
For the next line may be illuminating to--we know yet not what.

146.8 `Pistole' L16, [f Fr shortened form of pistolet] Hist, any of
various gold coins of the C17th and C18th; spec a) a spanish two
escudo piece b) a Louis and c) a Scottish 12 Pound (= English 1 Pound)
piece of William III.

146.21 `Frikkadel' cf MDMD(3) 82.25

147.11 `Chapter-Ring' ??? 

147.28 `Butter-Box' a derogatory term for a Dutchman cf Butter-Bag,
MDMD(2) 69.32 Also, derv. 'Butter-bag.' 

148.6  'hornetting sphere' ???
 
148.21 'Running Amok'---Among Malaysians, engaging furiously in battle,
or in a frenzy to kill, (Webster's). But is there a better, more
culturaly sensitive and interesting explanation available? I should hope so.

148.27 `Soupkie' apparently gin admixed with herbs - any further
details? Is it served cold, with ice? Has anyone got a good recepit/recipe?

148.31 `Nautch Girls' In the Indian subcontinent nautch is a
traditional dance by one or more professional dancing girls, a nautch
girl being such a professional, M19

149.14  'Sumptuary Laws'  Laws restricting or regulating extravagence in food,
dress, etc., on religious or moral grounds. Also The Mosaic Code, or part of
the Bible containing it. 

149.15 `Ticklingburgs' OED has Ticklenburgs, L17, a kind of coarse
linen, or linen and cotton, cloth from Recklenburg, a town in
Westphalia, Germany

149.16 `Paduasoy' L16 [f Fr pou-de-soie, by association with earlier
Padua soy] soy from Padua in Italy, a heavy rich corded or embossed
silk fabric, popular in the C18th

149.16 `Swanskin' L17, a fine thick type of flannel

149.16 `Shalloon' [f Fr chalon] a twilled worsted material chiefly
used for linings

149.16 `Brabant Lace' ??? Any F.I.T. or St Martin's students of fashion history
on the list? No? Go into the Frech House Pub and get them to answer this 
question for us.

150.5 `Meridien' Fr name for a type of sofa

150.9 `And there. In the Shadows, all but painted over,--' What was
in the shadows? Are we looking at the shadows of the painting,
or at Austra in the shadows of the room?  Appropriately for it 
surroundings,the settler is "mounted at dusk."(This sounds almost 
like a Garreth Lloyd painting to me, from the Horse and Rider series 
I wrote about last year. )

151.26 `Penetralia' the innermost parts of a building, esp the
sanctuary or innermost shrine of a temple (and what a perfect choice
of word for a brothel's most debauched chamber)

152.9 `Rencontre' Fr for meeting or encounter

152.29 `Dhoti' E17 [f Hindu] a coth worn by male Hindus, the ends
being passed through the legs and tucked in atthe waist.

154.2 `galloon'd with Gold' E17 [f Fr galonner] v. galloon = to trim
with braid, n. galloon = narrow ornamental fabric esp close woven silk
braid or a strip of lace,used to trim or finish costume or
uphoslstery; gallooned = trimmed with galloon, M19

154.15 `Trekkers' a bit early for the Great Trek, no? (not to mention
Trekkies)

154.25 `Oortman'  A type of gun?. Anyone for more?

154.30 `Bobbejaanboud'  Another type of gun, perhaps? Anyone for more?

157.1 `the Dutch Le Maires' viz: Jacob and Isaac - any confirmation of
their identities or additional biog info? 

Eric Alan Weinstein
University of London
E.A.Weinstein at qmw.ac.uk