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Around Cape Horn
Charles Davis was one of the world's leading maritime model builders. During the first half of the last century, he was also acclaimed as an artist, historian, and author. This is his recollection of one of his first adventures at sea: sailing out of New York in 1892 on a voyage around Cape Horn, aboard the bark James A. Wright.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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October 18, 2018
I'm really interested in the evolution of oceanic transport, and this period of nautical history is fascinating. Sail as a means of travel and movement of goods was truly global. Navigation was so developed that virtually all coasts had been mapped. The nature of winds and currents was charted to the extent that ships could predict voyage lengths within days (or at least weeks). Wooden shipbuilding was at its pinnacle for large vessels.
At the same time, iron ship-building and steam propulsion were already well established both in north America and Europe. Systems of navigational aids (buoys, lighthouses, and rules-of-the-road) were mostly accepted international norms. Davis's voyage in 1892 marked a sort of "pivot point" for shipping on the seas.
Yet it I'd say that it is not the technology so much as the insight into the life of a merchant sailor in those days. He writes in a vernacular that is so familiar it could almost be now. Yet he brings us a heritage of generations of sailors that connects us with the late days of Rome, perhaps. We can feel the salt spray and the smell of open ocean as high seas wash low decks and sails boom over a wide, dark deep. His intimate narrative captures the green sailor with the seasoned salts. There is nautical mythology explored. And it is impossible not to be amazed at a young man in his early 20s taking on and mastering a life so incredibly demanding.
For me, this was a priceless find. Though there were familiar strains from Dana, Melville, and Philbrick, this telling from a sailor late in the century gives a livelier, brighter, and more "relatable" set of images. For readers who are looking for more than a good story, this is an indispensable volume.
At the same time, iron ship-building and steam propulsion were already well established both in north America and Europe. Systems of navigational aids (buoys, lighthouses, and rules-of-the-road) were mostly accepted international norms. Davis's voyage in 1892 marked a sort of "pivot point" for shipping on the seas.
Yet it I'd say that it is not the technology so much as the insight into the life of a merchant sailor in those days. He writes in a vernacular that is so familiar it could almost be now. Yet he brings us a heritage of generations of sailors that connects us with the late days of Rome, perhaps. We can feel the salt spray and the smell of open ocean as high seas wash low decks and sails boom over a wide, dark deep. His intimate narrative captures the green sailor with the seasoned salts. There is nautical mythology explored. And it is impossible not to be amazed at a young man in his early 20s taking on and mastering a life so incredibly demanding.
For me, this was a priceless find. Though there were familiar strains from Dana, Melville, and Philbrick, this telling from a sailor late in the century gives a livelier, brighter, and more "relatable" set of images. For readers who are looking for more than a good story, this is an indispensable volume.
Displaying 1 of 1 review