“ONE IS NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW!”

Manure... An interesting fact.

Manure : In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything for export had to
be transported by ship. It was also before the invention of commercial
fertilizers, so large shipments of manure were quite common.

It was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less than
when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, not only did it become
heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a
by-product is methane gas. As the stuff was stored below decks in
bundles you can see what could (and did) happen. Methane began to
build up below decks and the first time someone came below at night
with a lantern, BOOOOM!



Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined
just what was happening



After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the
instruction ' Stow high in transit ' on them, which meant for the
sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water
that came into the hold would not touch this "volatile" cargo and
start the production of methane.



Thus evolved the term ' S.H.I.T ' , (Stow High In Transit) ,…………. “So
it’s really not a swear word”

which has come down through the centuries and is in use to this very day.



You probably did not know the true history of this word.

Neither did I



I had always thought it was a golfing term! 

 Thanks Father Marc