{"id":12793,"date":"2012-04-28T11:43:23","date_gmt":"2012-04-28T18:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scriptorium\/?p=12793"},"modified":"2014-03-18T09:29:58","modified_gmt":"2014-03-18T16:29:58","slug":"farewell-o-traveld-goat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scriptorium\/2012\/04\/farewell-o-traveld-goat\/","title":{"rendered":"Farewell, O Travel’d Goat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

On this day, April 28, in 1772, a goat died.<\/p>\n

But not just any goat. This goat had traveled twice around the world, providing a steady supply of milk for the sailors on two long journeys. A good, well fed milk goat will give a quart or two of sweet milk per day, and this goat apparently kept producing, to the delight of her shipmates.<\/p>\n

She had sailed on two important ships: first with Captain Wallis on the Dolphin<\/a>, when the Dolphin became the first ship to go twice around the world. Then she was loaded onto the famous ship Endeavour<\/a>, commanded by Captain Cook.<\/p>\n

One sailor on the second voyage reported,\u201dI must not omit how highly we have been indebted to a milch goat: she was three years in the West Indies, and was once round the world before in the Dolphin, and never went dry the whole time; we mean to reward her services in a good English pasture for life.\u201d\u00a0The lords of the Admiralty agreed with this sailor, and voted to give her a cushy retirement, granting her \u201cthe privileges of an in-pensioner of Greenwich Hospital.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Samuel Johnson heard of this goat, and composed a Latin epigram for her. It is reported that she wore the poem engraved on a silver collar around her neck. Here is the poem:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u2018Perpetui ambita his terra praemia lactis,
\nHac habet, altrici capra secunda Jovis.\u2019<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Of which Boswell gives this expansive translation:<\/p>\n

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