Hi Martin. If you can picture a flat heavy piece of steel in a skull shape with 2 holes where the eyes are & a matching hole where the mouth would be, the main lead chain would attach at the mouth & the 2 anchor chains would lead out at different directions from the eyes. This would give them better holding power in rough weather & also gave them a measure of safety, holding against changing tides & winds. This devise was better than running two cables or lines from the deck which could eventually twist while swinging at anchor. The swivel would eliminate these dangers later on.

The Dead Man's Chest, I don't have much on. In the Book of Pirates, S. Franks writes "The Dead Man's Chest refers neither to human anatomy nor to luggage, but to an island reef in the Caribbean where pirates are supposed to have consorted & shipping come to grief". Although not much to bite into Stuart Frank is quite the researcher with an endless supply of sources.

In the past pursers or pussers were officers responsible for pay, provisions & clothing & until the early 19th century in the Royal Navy they could officially benifit from their transactions, the suspicion that sailor's felt lead to nicknames like "Mr. Nipcheese" while their assistants where labled Jack Dusty or Jack of the Dust.

Hi Muckscrapper, I didn't mean to make it seem as if Afro Americans were more influencial than all the other sea going nations, only that I think that the amount of their influence has been underestimated grossly & the effect they had on the songs is still not recognized. Barry