and Essays for the Forecastle:
Containing Matters and Incidents
Humurous, Pathetic, Romantic, and Sentimental.
Illustrated with numerous Engravings.
by Hawser Martingale
Hawser Martingale indeed! Was there ever a more obvious nom-de-plume ? There is no clue of the author's true identity in the book, except for his initials, J.S.S. at the end of the short preface. We do know that "the writer of this volume is one who has passed a considerable portion of his life on the ocean, having for upwards of twenty years pursued the occupation of a mariner. He made his first voyage as a cabin-boy, at the age of fifteen, and has passed through every grade of seafaring life". This is a truly priceless little volume! The stories are real jewels! In fact, one of them, (the story of the sailor with the pet shark upon whose back he rides), is the obvious progenitor to the same yarn spun by the boatswain Jonathan Johnson in The Midshipman Marmaduke Merry . In addition to some very salty tales, there are a great number of fascinating, contemporary illustrations. Many are full-page and there's a tailpiece at the end of every chapter. A gem of a book. Fist published in 1846.
HOME PAGE
