Fifteen men on the dead man's chest

Who are the readers do not remember the famous pirate songs from RL Stevenson's novel "Treasure Island"? Her singing Billy Bones in the tavern "Admiral Benbow", she tightened at the request of the sailors on the deck of John Silver "Hispaniola", and the whole team picks up: "Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!".
But few people know that this popular song in the XVIII century consisted of seven verses and had several options for British sailors. She sang to the tune of "Blow, monsoon Man Down!" And called it "The Passion of Billy Bones." About the Billy Bones, which Stevenson made character of the novel, the song did not say anything of which one can conclude that he was the author of her words. It is appropriate to give a brief comment on the chorus. For the Russian people hearing it looks like the laughter of pirates. In fact, the chorus line with our 'One, two, heave! ". This exclamation used when the team had time to make some effort.
The following is the full text of the songs translated poet Nikolai Pozdnyakov:

Fifteen men on the dead man's chest,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil will bring you to the end.
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

They were thirsty, in the end,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
They began to feel that eating the dead.
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

What drink their blood and Mosley chew them.
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
That was then, and popped the devil Davy Jones.
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

He emerged with a large black key,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
With the key of the closet at the bottom of the sea.
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

Goggles as forest owl,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
And creepy laughter shook his head.
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

He said: "Now you go with me,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
You all buried in the depths of the sea I am. "
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

And he dragged them to his house underwater,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
And locked him in the black door key.
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

Judging by the title of the song, the pirate Billy Bones was among the fifteen who fell in describing mess.
Scholar Stevenson particularly intrigued by the words "fifteen men on Dead Man's Chest," which represents a complete nonsense. Stevenson on this account did not leave any explanation, saying only that it borrowed a verse from the book of history of pirates expert Jeffrey Montague. Speculation about the meaning of the mysterious words spoken very different, but none of them survived serious criticism. Since the release of the novel published in 1883 by the pirate song stubbornly kept his secret.

The secret of "Dead Man's Chest" and fifteen pirates managed to solve only in our time, and then, by pure chance.
English geographer and researcher, passionate traveler and collector of seashells Quentin Van Marle has taken a small naval expedition to the Caribbean in the area of ​​Cuba. In his possession was a speedboat, adapted for long walks on the sea. Suddenly the boat motor stalled, and all attempts to make him failed. After seeing the open sea with binoculars, Marla saw on the horizon a narrow strip of land. He built a primitive sail and taking advantage of a favorable wind at dusk Marla reached a small island. Overnight traveler spent in a boat previously informed of their position on the radio rescue service, and at dawn decided to explore the island.
It was a lonely, dull piece of land, an area of ​​only 200 m ?, rocky, covered with small bushes, whose only inhabitants were snakes and lizards, cillations performed here in large numbers.
Already on board the rescue ship Marla asked the captain what the name of the island where he spent the night. Answer Marl cast amazed ... the island was called Dead Man's Chest!
The traveler immediately knew that in his hands is the key to unlocking the secrets of the songs from the novel "Treasure Island".
Next Marla undertook archival searches, studied the history of piracy in the Caribbean and detailed biographies of famous pirates. Finally, he found the documents that fully confirmed his guess on the part of the words of pirated songs.

This happened at the beginning of the XVIII century. On the pirate ship "Queen Anne's Revenge", commanded by Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, one of the most feared pirate leaders of the Caribbean, due to the cruelty of Captain mutiny. The rebels are out of luck. Blackbeard, distinguished by great strength and ability to use arms, locked in the cabin, fought off the attackers and quickly suppressed the rebellion.
Fifteen particularly active rebel Teach decided to land on a desert island called Dead Man's Chest. Each of pirates handed over a bottle of rum, and then stranded a bunch of boarding sabers. Teach knew that the island has no fresh water sources, and only increases the thirst for rum, and, consequently, all the rebels are doomed to a painful death. But the vengeful Tichu it was not enough. Knowing the irascible, irrepressible drunkenness nature of pirates, he hoped that they would soon perepyutsya and hacked each other ...
After dropping off the rebels in the island Blackbeard sail, and soon his ship disappeared over the horizon.
For Billy Bones and his comrades came the dreadful days and nights. In Dead Man's Chest it was really crowded in the chest. In the extended quadrilateral land size of 10x20 meters tangled mass of people had no way to hide from the sun, wind and kite.
With Flint sailors produced fire and lit a small fire. Over night in the pieces of canvas, they collected dew, slightly diluted with sea water and its equally divided among themselves, but the water is still not enough. Thirst and the scorching sun, many began to rave and inflamed brains of people at night nightmare spawned monsters like the sea devil Davy Jones.
But contrary to the hopes of Blackbeard and stabbing fights between the pirates did not arise. Perhaps this contributed to the authority of Billy Bones. Apparently, it was his and other captains in lieu Ticha unsuccessful rebels.
During low tide the island a few increases in size, the sea receded and iznurёnnye "Robinson" collected between coral shellfish, crabs and turtles. The basic food pirates were snakes and lizards. They were killed, gutted, cut into pieces, vyalili in the sun and then eaten.
A month later, Thich returned to Dead Man's Chest. What it was his surprise when, instead of the dried corpses he found all his pirates quite alive, though barely moves the feet from exhaustion. At the request of the team Blackbeard forgive the rebels and took them on board.
The story is about fifteen pirates landed on Dead Man's Chest, quickly spread throughout the Caribbean, and very soon there was a song that tells of the fallen to their share of trials.