Jim Miller wrote:

>> Randy brought up the fact that cowries were used as ship ballast in
>> former centuries.
>
>
> I'm sure that's true, but you have to wonder how long it would take
> to collect, say, 800 pounds of cowries, as opposed to, let's say 800
> pounds of sand or rocks. It's one of those historical facts that is
> undeniable, but it still sounds a bit loony to me. Then again, maybe
> everyone back then had a big shell collection. And wait....did they
> use live ones or did they clean them first? I wouldn't want to be on
> any ship with 800 pounds of rotting cowries. Ugghh!
>
> Thanks for the info, David. I'm glad you made the ID. It can drive us
> all a bit nuts when we find a shell that seems out of place or one we
> can't quite identify. I love a happy ending.
>
> Have a great week everyone!
> Jim

The cites in following messages notwithstanding, the fact is
that cowries would make lousy ballast.

Loose dry gravel is about 95 lb/cf

Rock and dry sand are each about 100 lb/cf

Oyster shell (as a cargo, for fertilizer) is about 50 lb/cf

A small sample (60 cubic inches) of roughly half and half C.
cinerea and spurca with some Prunum and a few other small shells
thrown in, and a home food scale, shows about 35 lb/cf. In
ballast, of course, breakage and settling would increase the
density somewhat.

I have a hard time thinking a captain concerned with keeping his
vessel upright would consider cowries as ballast. As cargo,
perhaps, but ballast?

m

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