The ''Long Drink''

By Crusader1307

Although not indicative of Piracy originally (but no doubt made popular by them), the actual procedure was known as "Staking". Recorded as an execution method in Ancient Greece and Persia, it basically involved death by slow drowning. By "The Golden Age of Piracy", the method had been perfected into two separate, but equally effective methods of torture/execution. The first method involved metal rods driven into exposed rock face or coral reef (at low tide). The Victim was tied down, "spread eagled" - or arms and legs splayed out to their farthest points. Next, One simply had to wait for the tide to slowly come into shore. This could take in some cases, 6 to 8 hours. The water would slowly rise up until the immobilized Victim simply drowned. Left to become "fodder for The Crabs", within days the skeletal remains may or may not be all that would be left. The second more insidious method - which became known as "The Long Drink", involved the Victim being placed in a 4 to 5 foot deep hole (kneeling). Buried up to one's neck (and always facing The Sea), he would wait for the same tides to slowly drown. This method also brought about a second unintended - but no doubt decidedly "Pirate Pleasure", of Crabs and Seagulls to pick at the face and eyes of the poor unfortunate. Pirate Rules being what they were, there was a chance at escape from "The Long Drink". If one could free oneself in the early stages of the process (and dig out) BEFORE the sand absorbed enough seawater......... The Long Drink was said to have been a "favorite" of both Edward Teach (Blackbeard) as well as Edward Low. The method was given out for betrayal of one's Code or informing against a fellow crew member.