>
> Historical Naval Knowledge
>
> It was necessary to keep a good supply of canon balls near the cannon on
> ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck was the
problem.
>
> The best storage method devised was to stack them as a square based
pyramid,
> with one ball on top, resting on four, resting on nine, which rested on
> sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small
area
> right next to the cannon.
>
> There was only one problem how to prevent the bottom layer from
> sliding/rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate with
> 16 round indentations, called a Monkey.
>
> But if this plate was made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to
it.
> The solution to the rusting problem was to make Brass Monkeys. Few
> landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than
iron
> when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the
brass
> indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would come
> right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally "cold enough to freeze
> the balls off a brass monkey"!
>
> And all this time, you thought that was a vulgar expression, didn't you?

And now ya know why brass monkeys are neutered. cheers Tom

Thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much, you have just added to my useless information file. I drive everyone absolutely crazy with the strange things I know. It is really nice to know that some one else might be just a little like me. (O:

Thank you.