re: #378 Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel

I have long been convinced that those great British explorers (and pirates) like Hudson, Drake, and Hawkins fanned out across the world (and conquered a large part of it) not for the glory of England or even for loot, but because they were looking for something decent to eat. They were fairly successful in that respect, though not as much as the Spanish, who really hit the tasty grub jackpot in Central and South America.

I remember reading somewhere that the later crusades had a whole lot less to do with religion than with the fact that western Europeans got their first taste of spices and really good food and that was an inducement to return.