Canadian Yachting October 2017 - 51

Readable Relics Book Reviews

Captain Salvation
Author: F. W. Wallace
Pages: 397
First Published: 1925
Publisher: The Musson Book Company Ltd.
ISBN: n/a

The Golden North
Author: C. R. Tuttle
Pages: 307
First Published: 1897
Publisher: Rand, McNally & Company
ISBN: n/a

In the Heart of the Sea
Author: Nathaniel Philbrick
Pages: 302
First Published: 2000
Publisher: Penguin Books
ISBN: 0-14-10.0182-8

This book is one of the few that I have reviewed
that actually was made into a movie. Written in
1925 it was released in 1927 as one of the last
big silent movies. The book centres on the fictional town of Anchorville, Nova Scotia and the fortunes of several of its population. The lead character Anson Campbell returns to his home town
after spending a few semesters at a Presbyterian
College located in Boston. He is not happy following his studies and wants to return to his home
town and go to sea. The story is set in the years of
the 1880s and illustrates the various public values
that he encounters upon his return.
Being a determined young man he decides to
put to sea and prove himself and to forget his disappointing relationship with a Mary Philips who
is no longer interested in him and has pledged
herself to a new man, a Mr. Page. The author then
takes us on a voyage of not only discovery but
also of morals, religion, and the world of shipbuilding and commerce.
The fortunes of Anson are mostly good and
over time he becomes quite successful and returns to his home town to flaunt not only his
wealth but also his lifestyle. The townsfolk are
not amused and are more than happy when he
departs and sets sail on the newly built Aphrodite,
a ship of graceful lines and one of the last ships to
be built in Anchorville.
The voyages of the ship are well described and
over time Anson becomes more and more obsessed with commerce and the pursuit of women,
one in particular that nearly ruins him. However, a
twist of fate re-unites him with his first love, Mary
and the resulting complications make for a truly
memorable read and movie.

This volume speaks to the land mass north of the
60th parallel of latitude and does so with a very
sweeping recommendation of all that is there. The
publishing date of 1897 was particularly interesting
for me as this book is a vast survey of the far north
just as the gold rush was starting in the Yukon.
The author was a very well-known and respected
writer and delved into many areas of interest, both
historically and geographically, concerning North
America in the second half of the 19th century.
The opening chapters review the influence of
the gold rush and how vast vast the land is both
in size and in the various resources to be found.
The abundant presence of gold is described and
for those interested in knowing about panning
for gold there is even a step by step list of instructions to follow! The north of course is not
for the faint hearted and this is addressed by
the author. There is even a climate and weather
commentary for each of the various regions that
are touched on.
As a long time student of the Hudson Bay
Company I found the book was a very valuable
source of information as it even has a listing of
all the trading posts in the Canadian Northwest
and Alaska. Reading through the list, all 561 of
them, makes you realize that these trading posts
were not only a trading centres for the local people but many of them become future town sites
and even provincial capitals!
The author also has a chapter on the then current (1896) Alaskan boundary dispute and its slow
resolution progress. For many this book will not be
an interesting read but as the Canadian North becomes more prominent in our economy this book
certainly paints a very positive picture of its potential as it was seen over 100 years ago.

This book deals with the well known sinking of
the whaleship, Essex, out of the port of Nantucket. Anyone who has read Herman Melville's Moby
Dick will be familiar with the story line as the ship
is sunk by a white whale. The story of the Essex
though is not fiction but based on facts and the
tale is quite riveting. I first learned of this tragic
event while reading another book on whaling in
the south Pacific in the 1800s.
The author paints a very good picture of the
whaling life in the town of Nantucket, the home
port of the Essex, and of the dynamics that come
with living on board a whaling ship. The vessel
departs her home port in 1819 and there begins
the story of a voyage into history. Unlike some
books this volume has lots of maps and charts
to illustrate the track of the Essex which I found
to be most useful. The book is based on the extensive research of the author and is a fascinating read.
Not only are we walked through the various
trials and tribulations of the ship and the crew
but also the underlying concerns that the various
officers have as the ship makes her way into the
Pacific. The events leading up to the sinking are
well illustrated and you often feel like one of the
crew. The long days of idleness are keenly felt by
all aboard and as the voyage moves into its second
year you become aware that all is not quite right.
With the ship arriving in the Pacific there are several things needing attention physically, with very
deep divisions amongst the crew.
The author does a superb job of dealing with
the sinking of the ship and the resulting aftermath.
The tale of survival that follows is not only very revealing of the people involved but also shows how
society at the time interprets the outcome. This is
one book that I will re-read many times.

www.canadianyachting.ca

THE PORT HOLE

Reviewed by: R. John Garside AP

http://www.canadianyachting.ca

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting October 2017