David Bianculli

And so what they did was they dispatched the press gangs, and the press gangs would roam into cities everywhere. They would roam into ports and towns and they would look for anyone with the telltale signs of a mariner. You know, if you had even a little tar on the tips of your fingertips, tar was used on a ship a lot. They would say, oh, you're a mariner. They would round you up.

They would put you on these basically like these floating jails and take you out to the ship. And you were forced to go unwillingly on a voyage that might last three years. Even then... The squadron was short of men, so the Admiralty took the extreme step of rounding up soldiers from a retirement home, many of whom were in their 60s and 70s. They were missing an assortment of limbs.

They would put you on these basically like these floating jails and take you out to the ship. And you were forced to go unwillingly on a voyage that might last three years. Even then... The squadron was short of men, so the Admiralty took the extreme step of rounding up soldiers from a retirement home, many of whom were in their 60s and 70s. They were missing an assortment of limbs.

They would put you on these basically like these floating jails and take you out to the ship. And you were forced to go unwillingly on a voyage that might last three years. Even then... The squadron was short of men, so the Admiralty took the extreme step of rounding up soldiers from a retirement home, many of whom were in their 60s and 70s. They were missing an assortment of limbs.

Some were so sick, they needed to be lifted on stretchers onto these ships before the voyage. Everybody knew they were sailing to their deaths.

Some were so sick, they needed to be lifted on stretchers onto these ships before the voyage. Everybody knew they were sailing to their deaths.

Some were so sick, they needed to be lifted on stretchers onto these ships before the voyage. Everybody knew they were sailing to their deaths.

Back to the press gangs for a second. You described how the press gangs would row out to returning merchant ships, and these are ships that may have been out in sea for years, and would snatch sailors off those boats so that the sailors wouldn't be able to see their families. They would be put...

Back to the press gangs for a second. You described how the press gangs would row out to returning merchant ships, and these are ships that may have been out in sea for years, and would snatch sailors off those boats so that the sailors wouldn't be able to see their families. They would be put...

Back to the press gangs for a second. You described how the press gangs would row out to returning merchant ships, and these are ships that may have been out in sea for years, and would snatch sailors off those boats so that the sailors wouldn't be able to see their families. They would be put...

And then also you describe how there's this poignant scene where family and wives would go to the docks looking for their loved ones, trying to peer into the floating jails to see if they could get one last glimpse of the men before they were sent off again.

And then also you describe how there's this poignant scene where family and wives would go to the docks looking for their loved ones, trying to peer into the floating jails to see if they could get one last glimpse of the men before they were sent off again.

And then also you describe how there's this poignant scene where family and wives would go to the docks looking for their loved ones, trying to peer into the floating jails to see if they could get one last glimpse of the men before they were sent off again.

Yeah, I mean, those scenes give you such a poignant sense of the human toll, these expeditions. You know, you could have been a loved one waiting for somebody to come home, and then you hear they've been snatched. You haven't seen a husband or a brother or a son for years and years. And then you just hope to catch one last glimpse before they sail off.

Yeah, I mean, those scenes give you such a poignant sense of the human toll, these expeditions. You know, you could have been a loved one waiting for somebody to come home, and then you hear they've been snatched. You haven't seen a husband or a brother or a son for years and years. And then you just hope to catch one last glimpse before they sail off.

Yeah, I mean, those scenes give you such a poignant sense of the human toll, these expeditions. You know, you could have been a loved one waiting for somebody to come home, and then you hear they've been snatched. You haven't seen a husband or a brother or a son for years and years. And then you just hope to catch one last glimpse before they sail off.

And given how perilous this voyage is, not only may you not, this may be the last glimpse you have of your loved one.

And given how perilous this voyage is, not only may you not, this may be the last glimpse you have of your loved one.

And given how perilous this voyage is, not only may you not, this may be the last glimpse you have of your loved one.

Let's talk a little bit about life on board these boats. Although they were huge vessels, there were so many sailors that unless you were, say, like the captain, you didn't have a lot of personal space, right?