The History of Messages in Bottles

What can be more intriguing than a message in a bottle? If you put a message in a bottle, and tossed it into the ocean, what are the odds that someone will find it? Where will it end up, and how long will it take? And who in the world first came up with the concept of a message in a bottle?

These are the questions that came to mind when I recently read about Merle Brandell, an Alaskan beachcomber who found a bottle that had been launched by a fourth grade student, Emily Hwaung, in 1986. The bottle took approximately 21 years to travel 1,735 miles from Seattle to Alaska.

I decided to do a bit of research on messages in bottles to quench my curiosity. Here's what I found.

The First Message in a Bottle was Likely Sent by Greek Philosopher Theophrastus

Although no one knows for sure when the first message in a bottle was released, the ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus is the first known person to release a message in a bottle. He released a message in a bottle around 310 BC as an experiment to show that the inflowing Atlantic Ocean is what formed the Mediterranean Sea.

A Message in a Bottle was Sent by Christopher Columbus

In the days of early explorers, traveling by ship - and shipwrecks - were common. Once, when Christopher Columbus was caught up in a severe storm, he wrote a report of his discoveries, along with a note asking that his report be passed on to the Queen of Spain. His hope was that his report would be received, even if he did not survive the storm. Columbus survived, but to this day, no one knows what came of his message in a bottle.

Opening a Message in a Bottle was Punishable by Death

Although we think of discovering a message in a bottle as an exciting experience, in the 16^th century, discovering a message in a bottle and opening it could result in the death penalty.

The English Navy used messages in bottles to send information about enemy positions and other intelligence reports. After finding out that a boatman at Dover had opened a bottle containing an intelligence report, Queen Elizabeth I created a new job position: "Uncorker of Ocean Bottles." The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles was the only one permitted to open found bottles. All others who found - and opened bottles - would be put to death.

Desperate People Resort to Sending Messages in Bottles

Although messages sent in bottles are often nothing more than class projects, many desperate people have resorted to using messages in bottles as a cry for help. For example, in May of 2005, a group of 88 migrants who had been shipwrecked off the coast of Costa Rica sent out a cry for help in a message in a bottle which they tied to a long line on a passing fishing boat. Their cry for help was heard and they were rescued.

Most other shipwrecked people who resort to sending messages in bottles do not have such a fortunate ending. For example, in 1748, Japanese seaman, Chunosuke Matsuyama who was shipwrecked along with 44 shipmates carved a message on a piece of wood and placed it in a bottle. It was not found until 150 years later. They obviously all starved to death long before the message in the bottle was ever found.

Messages in Bottles are Seaworthy and Durable

We all know that glass bottles are fragile, but they do very well in the sea. They do not sink and can bob on the ocean for seemingly endless periods of time without being damaged. Glass also tends to last almost forever. For instance, in 1954 a sunken ship was found and on it were 18 glass bottles. The bottles were 250 years old, but were in perfect condition. (These bottles did not contain messages, and the alcohol in them was worthless when found.)

You Never Know Where a Message in a Bottle will End Up or How Long it will Take to Get There

If you ever find yourself lost at sea, it won't hurt to put a message in a bottle and pray for the best. Unfortunately, the odds of a message in a bottle leading to your rescue are slim. It is impossible to predict where a message in a bottle will end up or how long it will take to get there. For example, two bottles were dropped at the same time in the same place off of the coast of Brazil. One bottle made its way east and after 130 days was found on a beach in Africa. The other bottle took 190 days to arrive in Nicaragua. The speed which a bottle travels is dependent on wind and current. A bottle may almost stay put for a long period of time, but it is possible for a bottle to travel as much as 100 miles in one day.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message_in_a_bottle

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080323/ap_on_fe_st/message_in_a_bottle

http://www.tcmuseum.org/message_in_a_bottle/a_history_of_messages_in_bottles/

http://www.breadonthewaters.com/bottles_in_history.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A17525027