Here's your nautical history lesson for the day. The Naval history of manure:
In the 16th and 17th centuries, virtually everything was transported by ship. This was a time before commercial fertilizer, so large shipments of manure were common. To conserve precious cargo weight, the manure was shipped dry and stored below decks in large bundles. Problems occurred when the humidity rose from being at sea for a couple of weeks - which then started the fermentation process - which in turn produces methane gas. Some hapless Sailor, unaware of the danger would take a lantern below decks and the ship would blow apart. Several ships were destroyed before it was found the placement of the manure was at fault. There-after the bundles were labeled, Ship high in transit to avoid the methane gas build up. *S*hip *H*igh *I*n *T*ransit evolved down through the years as the term we know today… SHIT. And that's the truth! And you thought it was a term to be used after an accidental jibe. Just leaving town... Bill _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
