Cooper, J. F., born in New Jersey, 1789; died, 1851. He followed the
sea for five years, after three years at Yale. His first novel,
“Precaution,” was published when he was thirty. His chief books are
“The Spy,” “The Pilot,” “The Last of the Mohicans,” “The Prairie,”
“Red Rover,” “The Bravo,” “The Pathfinder,” “The Deerslayer,” “The Two
Admirals,” “Wing and Wing,” and “Satanstoe,” all of them either
sea-tales or tales of frontier life.
Bullen, F. T., English author and lecturer, born, 1857; educated at a
dame’s school; started life as errand-boy; from 1869 to 1883 was at
sea in all capacities up to and including chief mate, then clerk in
the English meteorological office until 1899. In addition to “The
Cruise of the Cachalot,” he has written “Idylls of the Sea,” “The Log
of a Sea Waif,” “The Men of the Merchant Service,” “With Christ at
Sea,” and many articles, poems, and sketches.
Cleveland, R. J., was the brother of the great-grandfather of Grover
Cleveland; born in Salem in 1740; died about 1786; when sixteen years
old was seized by a press-gang in Boston streets, and served for
several years on board an English frigate under William Trelawney,
afterwards Sir William, Governor of Jamaica. He was long occupied in
the merchant service; and when the Revolution broke out he, with his
brig _Pilgrim_, captured over fifty British prizes. His “Narrative of
Voyages and Commercial Enterprises” was not published until 1842, and
it was republished at once in England, and went through three editions
here.
Cupples, George, born in Berwickshire, Scotland, 1822; died, 1901. Son
of a Scottish clergyman. He had a strong desire to go to sea: at
sixteen he was apprenticed as a sailor, and made a voyage to India and
back. After studying art and divinity, on his return, he devoted
himself to literature, and besides “The Green Hand,” he wrote “The Two
Frigates” and some other books, and contributed largely to magazines.
Dana, R. H., American author and lawyer; born, 1815; died 1882;
graduated at Harvard 1837; afterward shipped as a common sailor and
made a voyage to California. He described the voyage in “Two Years
Before the Mast.” Became a distinguished maritime lawyer, and wrote
“The Seaman’s Friend,” “To Cuba and Back,” and edited an edition of
Wheaton’s International Law.
Defoe, D., born in London, 1661; died, 1731; a great politician in his
time, but best remembered by his “Robinson Crusoe.” His political
pamphlets, of which he wrote over four hundred, caused him to be
imprisoned and pilloried, and his books to be burned by the common
hangman. Among his other writings are “The Memoirs of a Cavalier,”
“Captain Singleton,” “A History of the Plague,” and “The History of
Colonel Jack.”
Dickens, Charles, born, 1812; died, 1870. As a boy he had a very hard
life, and much of the story of “David Copperfield” is
autobiographical. He became a reporter, and began to write about 1833.
His chief books are “Sketches by Boz,” “Pickwick,” “Oliver Twist,”
“Nicholas Nickleby,” “Old Curiosity Shop,” “Barnaby Rudge,” “A Tale of
Two Cities,” “Martin Chuzzlewit,” “Bleak House,” “Dombey and Son,”
“Little Dorrit,” and “Our Mutual Friend.”
Ingelow, J., English poetess and novelist, born, 1820; died, 1899. Her
chief novels are “Off the Skelligs,” “Fated to be Free,” “Don John,”
and “Sarah de Berenger.” “The Hightide on the Coast of Lincolnshire,”
and “A Story of Doom,” are the best known of her poetical writings.
Kingsley, Charles, an English clergyman and author, born in
Devonshire, 1819; died, 1875. From 1844, until his death, he was
rector of Eversley, in Hampshire. In 1873 he was appointed Canon of
Westminster and Chaplain to Queen Victoria. He wrote “Alton Locke” and
“Yeast,” “Two Years Ago,” “Hereward the Wake,” “Hypatia,” and
“Westward Ho!” And under the pen-name of “Parson Lot” wrote much on
Christian Socialism. A charming book of travel, “At Last,” and “The
Heroes,” “Glaucus,” “The Water Babies,” “Prose Idylls,” “Health and
Education,” are some of his other books. His “Life,” by his widow, is
a most interesting biography.
Kingston, W. H. G., English writer of boys’ stories; born, 1814; died,
1880. His father was a merchant in Oporto, and his voyages thence to
London gave him his knowledge of ships and sailing. His first book for
boys, “Peter, the Whaler,” had an immense success. Among his most
popular books are “The Three Midshipmen,” “The Three Lieutenants,” and
“The Three Admirals.” He wrote over 120 books of this kind, all
simple, vigorous, and healthy in tone.
Loti, Pierre, French marine officer and author, born in 1850. He
entered the navy in 1867, and at first sailed the Pacific Ocean. He
went through the Chinese campaign with distinction. Among his numerous
books may be cited, “Aziyadé,” “Le Mariage de Loti,” “The Romance of a
Spahi,” “The Iceland Fisherman,” “Madame Chrysanthemum,” “The Romance
of a Child,” “The Book of Pity and of Death,” and “A Phantom of the
East.”
Marryat, Capt. F., English author, born, 1792; died, 1848. In 1806
went as midshipman on board the frigate _Impérieuse_. He followed the
sea until 1830, and then devoted himself to literature. He wrote
“Frank Mildmay,” “The King’s Own,” “Peter Simple,” “Jacob Faithful,”
“Mr. Midshipman Easy,” “Snarleyyow,” “The Pasha of Many Tales,” etc.
In 1837 he visited America, and afterward published his “Diary in
America;” “Settlers in Canada,” and “The Children of the New Forest,”
were his last works.
Melville, H., American author, born, 1819; died, 1891; became a
sailor, and deserted, owing to the captain’s harsh treatment; was kept
prisoner by a savage tribe in the Marquesas Islands, and was rescued
by an Australian whaler. “Typee” contains an account of this
adventure. “Omoo” continues his adventures in the Marquesas. “Moby
Dick” and “Red Jacket” are among his best-known sea tales. He also
published some volumes of verse.
Reade, C., English novelist and playwright, born, 1814; died, 1884;
studied at Oxford, and was called to the bar. He wrote several plays
which proved very popular. Of his eighteen novels may be mentioned
“Peg Woffington,” “Christie Johnson,” “It is Never Too Late to Mend,”
“The Cloister and the Hearth,” “Hard Cash,” “Griffith Gaunt,” “Foul
Play,” and “A Terrible Temptation.”
Russell, W. Clark, sea-story writer, born in New York, 1844. Son of
Henry Russell, author of “Cheer, Boys, Cheer.” He went to sea in a
merchantman at thirteen and a half, but abandoned it after seven or
eight years. His first nautical novel was “John Holdsworth, Chief
Mate” (published in 1874). “The Wreck of the Grosvenor” is the most
popular of his stories. He also wrote “A Sailor’s Sweetheart,” “Little
Lou,” “An Ocean Free Lance,” “A Sea Queen,” “The Lady Maud,” “My
Shipmate Louise,” “Round the Galley Fire,” “An Ocean Tragedy,” “The
Emigrant Ship,” “List, Ye Landsmen,” “What Cheer,” “The Two Captains,”
“The Romance of a Midshipman,” and many others.
Scott, Michael, English author, born, 1789; died, 1835. Spent a great
part of his life in the West Indies, and finally established himself
in business in Glasgow, where he died. He wrote “Tom Cringle’s Log”
and “The Cruise of the Midge,” and contributed largely to Blackwood’s
Magazine, in which these stories first appeared.
Stevenson, R. L., born in Edinburgh, 1850; died, 1894; was trained as
a lawyer, but soon turned his attention to literature. From his
childhood he had written constantly. Among essays and stories, he
wrote “An Inland Voyage,” “Travels with a Donkey,” “Virginibus
Puerisque,” “New Arabian Nights,” “Treasure Island,” “Kidnapped,” “The
Master of Ballantrae,” “Prince Otto,” “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde,” etc., and “A Child’s Garden of Verse.”
Wyss, J. R., born in Switzerland, 1781; died, 1830, at Bern, where he
was professor of philosophy and chief librarian. “The Swiss Family
Robinson” is the work by which his name is best remembered. It
appeared in two volumes in 1812-13. Was translated into English, the
first volume in 1820, the second in 1849. Since then countless
editions have appeared.