Adam Savage's One Day Builds: Moby Dick Diorama Maquette!

You got to give to Adam to come up with something unique. Not that Moby Dick is all that unique of a novel, it is only one of a three texts that I never got through. However having seen three for the screen adaptations of the story I can say that the story is fascinating. So what a better theme for an "One day Build".

The Riddle of the Sands; Maps and Charts

I just completed my reading of “The Riddle of the Sands”, which was edited by Erskine Childers (1870-1922). I read the text as an Epub and didn’t get to read the Preface or get to view the accompanied maps and charts. As you know I love my maps and charts.

“The Riddle of the Sands” is a record of secret service that had been recently achieved (1902). The preface will give you some of the details. For the full story I highly recommend this novel. The novel starts off a bit slowly, but if you are like me and like a good sea yarn you will appreciate all the navigation details, and will come to appreciate the knowledgeable seamanship of captain Davies.

Preface

"A WORD about the origin and authorship of this book:

In October last (1902), my friend 'Carruthers' visited me in my chambers, and, under a provisional pledge of secrecy, told me frankly the whole of the adventure described in these pages. Till then I had only known as much as the rest of his friends, namely, that he had recently undergone experiences during a yachting cruise with a certain Mr 'Davies' which had left a deep mark on his character and habits.

At the end of his narrative—which, from its bearing on studies and speculations of my own, as well as from its intrinsic interest and racy delivery, made a very deep impression on me—he added that the important facts discovered in the course of the cruise had, without a moment's delay, been communicated to the proper authorities, who, after some dignified incredulity, due in part, perhaps, to the pitiful inadequacy of their own secret service, had, he believed, made use of them, to avert a great national danger. I say 'he believed', for though it was beyond question that the danger was averted for the time, it was doubtful whether they had stirred a foot to combat it, the secret discovered being of such a nature that mere suspicion of it on this side was likely to destroy its efficacy.

There, however that may be, the matter rested for a while, as, for personal reasons which will be manifest to the reader, he and Mr 'Davies' expressly wished it to rest.

But events were driving them to reconsider their decision. These seemed to show that the information wrung with such peril and labor from the German Government, and transmitted so promptly to our own, had had none but the most transitory influence on our policy. Forced to the conclusion that the national security was really being neglected, the two friends now had a mind to make their story public; and it was about this that 'Carruthers' wished for my advice. The great drawback was that an Englishman, bearing an honoured name, was disgracefully implicated, and that unless infinite delicacy were used, innocent persons, and, especially, a young lady, would suffer pain and indignity, if his identity were known. Indeed, troublesome rumours, containing a grain of truth and a mass of falsehood, were already afloat.

After weighing both sides of the question, I gave my vote emphatically for publication. The personal drawbacks could, I thought, with tact be neutralized; while, from the public point of view, nothing but good could come from submitting the case to the common sense of the country at large. Publication, therefore, was agreed upon, and the next point was the form it should take. 'Carruthers', with the concurrence of Mr 'Davies', was for a bald exposition of the essential facts, stripped of their warm human envelope. I was strongly against this course, first, because it would aggravate instead of allaying the rumours that were current; secondly, because in such a form the narrative would not carry conviction, and would thus defeat its own end. The persons and the events were indissolubly connected; to evade, abridge, suppress, would be to convey to the reader the idea of a concocted hoax. Indeed, I took bolder ground still, urging that the story should be made as explicit and circumstantial as possible, frankly and honestly for the purpose of entertaining and so of attracting a wide circle of readers. Even anonymity was undesirable. Nevertheless, certain precautions were imperatively needed.

To cut the matter short, they asked for my assistance and received it at once. It was arranged that I should edit the book; that 'Carruthers' should give me his diary and recount to me in fuller detail and from his own point of view all the phases of the 'quest', as they used to call it; that Mr 'Davies' should meet me with his charts and maps and do the same; and that the whole story should be written, as from the mouth of the former, with its humours and errors, its light and its dark side, just as it happened; with the following few limitations. The year it belongs to is disguised; the names of persons are throughout fictitious; and, at my instance certain slight liberties have been taken to conceal the identity of the English characters.

Remember, also that these persons are living now in the midst of us, and if you find one topic touched on with a light and hesitating pen, do not blame the Editor, who, whether they are known or not, would rather say too little than say a word that might savour of impertinence."

E. C.
March 1903

---

Accompanied Maps and Charts (The preface, maps and charts are not available in the epub version.)

Map A—General Map
Chart A—Chart to Illustrate the Stranding of the 'Dulcibella,' etc.
Map B—Map of East Friesland
Chart B—Chart of Juist, Memmert, and Part of Norderney
Sketch—Memmert Salvage Depot

Chapter 21 Cragmire Tower

I hope you are not tiring of my Fu-Manchu quotes for I do have a few more to publish from this volume, The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu. Welcome to September. This is my 998th post.

"But not a sound broke the stillness save a remote murmuring, until a solitary sea gull rose in the air and circled directly over the tower, uttering its mournful and unmusical cry. Automatically to my mind sprang the lines of the poem:

Far from all brother-men, in the weird of the fen,
With God's creatures I bide, 'mid the birds that I ken;
Where the winds ever dree, where the hymn of the sea
Brings a message of peace from the ocean to me. "

"The Fenman", Sax Rohmer

A Foot Note

"The fire in the sea: It happens sometimes that sea waves have such a luminous appearance, as if the whole sea were full of fire. If you cast any thing into the sea, it becomes luminous like a star; but you do not see this during moonlight. Wood having in itself no fire, receives a fiery appearance, after having been passed through the water."

From the notes of History of the Pirates Who Infested the China Sea From 1807 to 1810; [79]

The Final Sighting of the Flying Dutchman

The Flying Dutchman rising from the depths. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World End.

'“There—there!” shouted the sailors, pointing to the beam of the vessel. Every eye looked over the gunnel to witness what had occasioned such exclamations. Philip, Schriften, and the captain, were side by side. On the beam of the ship, not more than two cables’ length distant, they beheld slowly rising out of the water the tapering masthead and spars of another vessel. She rose, and rose, gradually; her topmasts and topsail yards, with the sails set, next made their appearance; higher and higher she rose up from the element. Her lower masts and rigging, and, lastly, her hull showed itself above the surface. Still she rose up, till her ports, with her guns, and at last the whole of her floatage was above water and there she remained close to them, with her main yard squared, and hove-to.

“Holy Virgin!” exclaimed the captain, breathless; “I have known ships to go down, but never to come up before. Now will I give one thousand candles, of ten ounces each, to the shrine of the Virgin, to save us in this trouble. One thousand wax candles! Hear me, blessed lady, ten ounces each! Gentlemen,” cried the captain to the passengers, who stood aghast; “why don’t you promise?—promise, I say; promise, at all events.”

“The Phantom Ship—the Flying Dutchman,” shrieked Schriften; “I told you so, Philip Vanderdecken; there is your father—he, he!” '

The Phantom Ship, by Frederick Marrya

A Ghost Ship Passes Through the Utrecht

The crew of the Utrecht has a harrowing experience with the Flying Dutchman.

'“Ship on the weather beam close aboard of us,” cried one of the men.

Krantz and Philip sprang upon the gunwale, and beheld the large ship bearing right down upon them, not three cables’ length distant.

“Helm up! she does not see us, and she will be aboard of us!” cried Philip. “Helm up, I say, hard up, quick!”

The helm was put up, as the men, perceiving their imminent danger, climbed upon the guns to look if the vessel altered her course; but no—down she came, and the head-sails of the Utrecht having been carried away, to their horror they perceived that she would not answer her helm, and pay off as they required.

“Ship ahoy!” roared Philip through his trumpet—but the gale drove the sound back.

“Ship ahoy!” cried Krantz on the gunwale, waving his hat. It was useless—down she came, with the waters foaming under her bows, and was now within pistol-shot of the Utrecht.

“Ship ahoy!” roared all the sailors, with a shout that must have been heard: it was not attended to: down came the vessel upon them, and now her cutwater was within ten yards of the Utrecht. The men of the Utrecht, who expected that their vessel would be severed in half by the concussion, climbed upon the weather gunwale, all ready to catch at the ropes of the other vessel, and climb on board of her. Amine, who had been surprised at the noise on deck, had come out, and had taken Philip by the arm.

“Trust to me—the shock—,” said Philip. He said no more; the cutwater of the stranger touched their sides; one general cry was raised by the sailors of the Utrecht,—they sprang to catch at the rigging of the other vessel’s bowsprit, which was now pointed between their masts—they caught at nothing—nothing—there was no shock—no concussion of the two vessels—the stranger appeared to cleave through them—her hull passed along in silence—no cracking of timbers—no falling of masts—the foreyard passed through their mainsail, yet the canvas was unrent—the whole vessel appeared to cut through the Utrecht, yet left no trace of injury—not fast, but slowly, as if she were really sawing through her by the heaving and tossing of the sea with her sharp prow. The stranger’s forechains had passed their gunwale before Philip could recover himself. “Amine,” cried he at last, “the Phantom Ship!—my father!” '

The Phantom Ship, by Frederick Marryat

Another Appearance of the Phantom Ship (The Flying Dutchman)

“Why, the fact is, I did not see anything but the loom of her hull," replied the other. "It was very strange; the night was fine, and the heavens clear; we were under top-gallant sails, for I do not carry on during the night, or else we might have put the royals on her; she would have carried them with the breeze. I had turned in, when about two o'clock in the morning the mate called me to come on deck. I demanded what was the matter, and he replied he could hardly tell, but that the men were much frightened, and that there was a Ghost Ship, as the sailors termed it, in sight. I went on deck; the entire horizon was clear, but on our quarter was a sort of fog, round as a ball, and not more than two cables' length from us.

We were going about four knots and a half free, and yet we could not escape from this mist. 'Look there,' said the mate. ‘Why, what the devil can it be.' Said I, rubbing my eyes. ‘No banks up to windward, and yet a fog in the middle of a clear sky, with a fresh breeze, and with water all around it ; ' for you see the fog did not cover more than a dozen cables' length, as we could perceive by the horizon on each side of it. ' Hark, sir ! ' said the mate — ' they are speaking again.' ‘Speaking ! ' said I, and I listened ; and from out this ball of fog I heard voices. At last, one cried out, ' Keep a sharp look- out forward, d'ye hear? ' ' Ay, ay, sir ! ‘replied another voice. ‘Ship on the starboard bow, sir.' ‘Very well; strike the bell there forward.' And then we heard the bell toll. ‘It must be a vessel,' said I to the mate. 'Not of this world, sir,' replied he. ‘Hark! ‘‘A gun ready forward.' ‘Ay, ay, sir! ' was now heard out of the fog, which appeared to near us ; ' all ready, sir.' ‘Fire! 'The report of the gun sounded on our ears like thunder, and then.”

‘Well, and then? '', said the captain of the Batavia, breathless.

‘And then,’ replied the other captain, solemnly, 'the fog and all disappeared as if by magic, the whole horizon was clear, and there was nothing to be seen."

The Phantom Ship, Frederick Marryat.

An Appearence of the Flying Dutchman

"The captain, Hillebrant, and Philip directed their eyes to the quarter pointed out, and thought they could perceive something like a vessel. Gradually the gloom seemed tc clear away, and a lambent pale blaze to light up that part of the horizon. Not a breath of wind was on the water, the sea was like a mirror. More and more distinct did the vessel appear, till her hull, masts and yards were clearly visible. They looked and rubbed their eyes to help their vision, for scarcely could they believe that which they did see. In the centre of the pale light, which extended about fifteen degrees above the horizon, there was indeed a large ship about three miles distant ; but, although it was a perfect calm, she was to all appearance buffeting in a violent gale, plunging and lifting over a surface that was smooth as glass, now careening to her bearing, then recovering herself. Her topsails and mainsail were furled, and the yards pointed to the wind ; she had no sail set, but a close-reefed fore-sail, a storm stay-sail, and trysail abaft. She made little way through the water, but apparently neared them fast, driven down by the force of the gale. Each minute she was plainer to the view. At last, she was seen to wear, and in so doing, before she was brought to the wind on the other tack, she was so close to them that they could distinguish the men on board : they could see the foaming water as it was hurled from her bows -, hear the shrill whistle of the boatswain's pipes, the creaking of the ship's timbers, and the complaining of her masts ; and then the gloom gradually rose, and in a few seconds she had totally disappeared."

The Phantom Ship, Frederick Marryat

Pirate Ditty Sung Aboard the Arabella

For we put her board and board,

and we put her to the sword,

and we sunk her in the deep blue sea.

So it’s high-ho, and heave-a-hoe!

Who’ll sail for the Main with me?

Chapter 22, Captain Blood

An Update to my Summer Reading List, Final

I have already started to read those tiles on my late summers reading list. I will publish the list in an upcoming post.

1. Bohemians of the Latin Quarter, Henri Murger
The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter takes place in Paris and in the 1840s. It is a story of several artistic types: a poet, painter, musician, and philosopher who meet up by chance and create a little confederation between themselves. When one prospers, they all prosper, and they live recklessly and extravagantly. Instead of sticking a little of their good fortune away for a rainy day they spend all they have until they are once again destitute. The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter tells of the artists affairs: their successes, their impoverished times, and of their mistresses.

Although there were a few times when the story seemed to drag on, all and all the story was interesting and entertaining.


2. Poor Jack, Frederick Marryat
Poor Jack is a novel by the Frederick Marryat, and tells the story of Thomas Saunders, a sailor's son. Saunders is a neglected and mistreated by his mother and struggles to survive in Greenwich, London as a street urchin. He survives by doing odd menial jobs and begging.

A pensioner takes the poor lad under his tutorage teaching him how to read. As the lad grows older he is recommended to an old friend of the pensioner and starts an apprenticeship to a river pilot. Thomas excels in his studies, passes his exams, and becomes a certified pilot.
The book mentions many adventures. I have skipped a lot of the details, but the lad is very helpful to those around him and makes many friends. Let it be said the boy might have started off poor but ends up becoming very wealthy.


3. The Arabian Nights, Muhsin Mahdi
The Arabian Nights is a compilation of short stories depicting characters from the Middle East. Sinbad the Sailor might be the most notable, but there is much mention of genies, dervishes, sultans, grand vicars, princes and princesses, enchanted lands and treasures, and merchants traveling to foreign lands.


4. The Missing Merchantman, Harry Collingwood 
Ned, no sooner is promoted to 1st mate when the crew of the Flying Cloud munities. The second and captain are locked in a forward desk house and Ned is forced, by the mutineers to do navigating. The passengers, captain and second mate are abandoned on separate islands Ned does his best to provide for the cast a ways in the way of equipment and provisions.

The pirates make for an uncharted island and set-up camp. While on a four island archipelago, Ned comes across of stash of ancient arms and a fabulous treasure. He keeps this find a secret and makes a vow to return once he has gained his freedom.

Ned, always looking for a way to escape and possible through the use of ship finely has a chance of escaping with the ship, however narrowly. Ned sets sail to the islands where the captain and the passengers were marooned, he then heads back to island archipelago to pick-up his booty, and they all head back to Jolly Olde England.

I have condensed my summary, however short; the story is well worth your time. I have read, as you know, quite a few of Harry Collingwood’s stories and all have been good reads.


5. The Troll in the Garden and other Stories, Willa Cather
   A collection of short stories by Willa Cather, which depict life in Nebraska, Kansas, and Montana, for the most part. Interesting frontier characters and a few cosmopolitans thrown in for a change of pace.
   

Yet, another forecastle song

“It was one November—the second day—

The admiral he bore away,

Intending for his native shore.

The wind at sou’sou’west did roar;

There was likewise a terrible sky,

Which made the sea to run mountains high.


“The tide of ebb it was not done,

But fiercely to the west did run;

Which put us all in terrible fear,

Because there was not room for to veer.

The wind and weather increased sore,

And drove ten sail of us on shore.


“Ashore went the Northumberland,

The Harwich, and the Cumberland,

The Lion and the Warwick too;

But the Elizabeth had the most to rue—

She came stem on—her fore-foot broke.

And she sunk the Gloucester at one stroke.


“But now remains what is worse to tell,

The greatest ships had the greatest knell;

The brave C’ronation and all her men

Was lost and drowned every one,

Except the mate and eighteen more

What in the long boat com’d ashore.


“And thus they lost their precious lives;

But the greatest loss was to their wives,

Who, with their children left on shore,

Their husbands’ watery death deplore,

And wept their loss with many tears—

But grief endureth not for years.


“Now you who’ve a mind to go to sea,

Pray take a useful hint from me,

And live at home, and be content

With what kind Providence has sent;

For they were punish’d for their misdeeds,

In grumbling when they had no needs.


“Now God preserve our noble Queen,

Likewise her Ministers serene;

And may they ever steer a course

To make things better ’stead of worse,

And England’s flag triumphant fly,

The dread of hevery he-ne-my.”

Poor Jack, by Frederick Marryat, 1840

An Update to my Summer Reading List #2

1. Bohemians of the Latin Quarter, Henri Murger
The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter takes place in Paris and in the 1840s. It is a story of several artistic types: a poet, painter, musician, and philosopher who meet up by chance and create a little confederation between themselves. When one prospers, they all prosper, and they live recklessly and extravagantly. Instead of sticking a little of their good fortune away for a rainy day they spend all they have until they are once again destitute.

The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter tells of the artists affairs: their successes, their impoverished times, and of their mistresses.
Although there were a few times when the story seemed to drag on, all and all the story was interesting and entertaining.


2. Poor Jack, Frederick Marryat
   
   Poor Jack is a novel by the Frederick Marryat, and tells the story of Thomas Saunders, a sailor's son. Saunders is a neglected and mistreated by his mother and struggles to survive in Greenwich, London as a street urchin. He survives by doing odd menial jobs and begging.
   
   
   A pensioner takes the poor lad under his tutorage teaching him how to read. As the lad grows older he is recommended to an old friend of the pensioner and starts an apprenticeship to a river pilot. Thomas excels in his studies, passes his exams, and becomes a certified pilot.
   
   
   The book mentions many adventures. I have skipped a lot of the details, but the lad is very helpful to those around him and makes many friends. Let it be said the boy might have started off poor but ends up becoming very wealthy.
   
   
3. The Arabian Nights, Andrew Lang
4. The Blazing World, Margaret Cavendish
5. The Missing Merchantman, Harry Collingwood 
6. The Troll in the Garden and other Stories, Willa Cather
   The Troll in the Garden and other Stories is a collection of short stories by Willa Cather, which depict life in Nebraska, Kansas, and Montana, for the most part. Interesting frontier characters and a few cosmopolitans thrown in for a change of pace.

Another Forecastle Ditty

“It was one November—the second day— 

The admiral he bore away, 

Intending for his native shore. 

The wind at sou’sou’west did roar; 

There was likewise a terrible sky, 

Which made the sea to run mountains high. 

“The tide of ebb it was not done, 

But fiercely to the west did run; 

Which put us all in terrible fear, 

Because there was not room for to veer. 

The wind and weather increased sore, 

And drove ten sail of us on shore. 

“Ashore went the Northumberland, 

The Harwich, and the Cumberland, 

The Lion and the Warwick too; 

But the Elizabeth had the most to rue— 

She came stem on—her fore-foot broke. 

And she sunk the Gloucester at one stroke. 

“But now remains what is worse to tell, 

The greatest ships had the greatest knell; 

The brave C’ronation and all her men 

Was lost and drowned every one, 

Except the mate and eighteen more 

What in the long boat com’d ashore. 

“And thus they lost their precious lives; 

But the greatest loss was to their wives, 

Who, with their children left on shore, 

Their husbands’ watery death deplore, 

And wept their loss with many tears— 

But grief endureth not for years. 

“Now you who’ve a mind to go to sea, 

Pray take a useful hint from me, 

And live at home, and be content 

With what kind Providence has sent; 

For they were punish’d for their misdeeds, 

In grumbling when they had no needs. 

  

“Now God preserve our noble Queen, 

Likewise her Ministers serene; 

And may they ever steer a course 

To make things better ’stead of worse, 

And England’s flag triumphant fly, 

The dread of hevery he-ne-my.” 

Chapter 17, Poor Jack, by Frederick Marryat, 1840

Spanish Ladies, An Odle Forecastle Song

“Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish ladies,

Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain;

    For we have received orders

    For to sail to old England,

But we hope in a short time to see you again.”

“We’ll rant and we’ll roar, like true British sailors,

We’ll rant and we’ll roar across the salt seas;

    Until we strike soundings

    In the Channel of old England.

From Ushant to Scilly ’tis thirty-five leagues.

“Then we hove our ship to, with the wind at sou’west, my boys,

Then we hove our ship to, for to strike soundings clear;

    Then we filled the main topsail

    And bore right away, my boys,

And straight up the Channel of old England did steer.

“So the first land we made, it is called the Deadman,

Next Ram Head, off Plymouth, Start, Portland, and the Wight;

    We sail-ed by Beachy,

    By Fairly and Dungeness,

And then bore away for the South Forehand light.

“Now the signal it was made for the grand fleet to anchor,

All in the Downs that night for to meet;

    Then stand by your stoppers,

    See clear your shank painters,

Hawl all your clew garnets, stick out tacks and sheets.”

Chapter 17, Poor Jack, by Frederick Marryat, 1840

Quote from Fredrick Marryat's Poor Jack

"One lives and larns as long as one lives."

Chapter 6, PoorJack, Fredrick Marryat

Prelude to J. Meade Falkner's Moonfleet

"Says the Cap'n to the Crew,

We have slipped the Revenue,

  I can see the cliffs of Dover on the lee:

Tip the signal to the Swan,

And anchor broadside on,

  And out with the kegs of Eau-de-Vie,

             Says the Cap'n:

  Out with the kegs of Eau-de-Vie.

Says the Lander to his men,

Get your grummets on the pin,

  There's a blue light burning out at sea.

The windward anchors creep,

And the Gauger's fast asleep,

  And the kegs are bobbing one, two, three,

               Says the Lander:

  The kegs are bobbing one, two, three.

But the bold Preventive man

Primes the powder in his pan

  And cries to the Posse, Follow me.

We will take this smuggling gang,

And those that fight shall hang

  Dingle dangle from the execution tree,

               Says the Gauger:

Dingle dangle with the weary moon to see."

Reaper Miniatures 25mm Mermaid

This mermaid is a 25mm miniature from Reaper Miniatures#03608: Aquatic Familiars II. I have had this miniature for some time. This photo is from the third photo shoot of this miniature. I haven’t been satisfied with the results up to this point.

I first heard her call on a misty early dawn of morning in June. I didn’t know what to make of the sounds that I heard on this June morning. At first I thought I was hearing things. The sound had a dreamy and hypnotizing quality to it and it drew me too its source. Like I said, I didn’t what to make of it, but all the same I was enticed to pull my rowboat toward these memorizing sounds.

I rowed toward these sounds, which seemed to be coming from somewhere around Crook Island. The Island stood off about two miles from the channel leeward of the sea. Not having a water source the island was not inhabited. The island was one of the many Channel Islands that stood off from the mainland. Crook Island was once the haunt of criminals. The island was roughly 1.5 miles wide, at its widest, and 7 miles long. Some say that there is treasure buried on the Island, but no one as yet has found even a clue of its where-a- bout’s.

The closer I pulled toward the island the more these sounds sounded like someone singing. Singing in a most delightful language, one all its own. I rowed to a little cove, to where I thought I had heard this very particular singing, and pulled my boat up to the beach. I landed the boat and commenced to investigate the beach. Not finding anything there, I walked the full length and width of the island. Still not seeing anything that would explain these strange sounds I walked back to my boat and sat on its gunwhale and I pondered as what to do next. I reached down for my sea bag that sat on the floor boards of the boat and pulled out a beaker of water and some sea biscuits.

While I sat there I pondered on what I had heard and wondered where the song could have come from. After finishing my meager meal I pushed my boat out beyond the surf and started to row back to the main land. It was then I heard a splash off to my right. I rowed toward were the sound had come from and then off in the distance I heard a louder splash.  I rowed to the point of the splash, and not seeing anything unusual I stopped and rested on my oars. It was then I saw a very large tail come-up out of the water. Coming down it created another splash. This time I was close enough to get a good soaking. The creature, whatever it was, took off toward the open water. I heard another splash. I looked intently toward the spot of the last splash and saw a shock of red hair and then the face of what I reconvened to be a mermaid. It was a most beautiful face; one with the most alluring aspects. Was she was trying to lure me out to the open sea?

I had heard tell of stories, where the mermaids had lured the un-expecting out to the open sea with their womanly charms only to have that person never to be heard of again. I started to row back to the main land. I swear I heard a moan-full cry as I rowed back. I didn't look back until I had safely reached the mainland.

The Ghost Pirates

"Olden memories that shine against death's night.
Quite stars of sweet enchantments,
That are seen In Life's lost distances…"

The World of Dreams

"All along the port rails there was a queer, undulating grayness that moved downward inboard, and spread over the desks. As I looked, I found that I saw more clearly, in a most extraordinary way. And, suddenly, all the moving grayness resolved into hundreds of strange men. In the half-light, they looked unreal and impossible, as though there had come upon us the inhabitants of some fantastic dream-world. They swarmed in upon us in great wave of murderous, living shadows."

Chapter 16: The Ghost Pirates; The Ghost Pirates, William Hope Hodgson

This quote was found in the last of a trilogy by William Hope Hodgson’s, The Ghost Pirates. All three of Hodgson’s set were fabulous, but I did prefer the first and the last in the series best; their being sea yarns.

Quotes from Jack London’s, A Son of the Sun #8

“’Hello, shipper!’ Narii called, when he was abreast of them. ‘Can I come aboard to get some breakfast?’ Captain Warfield’s face and neck began to swell and turn purple. He tried to speak, but choked. ‘For two cents-for two cents-‘was all he could manage to articulate."
Jack London’s, A Son of the Sun

Quotes Jack London’s, A Son of the Sun #7

“The deck of the Malahini vibrated under the men’s feet. The taut-stretched halyards beat a tattoo against the masts, and all the rigging. As if smoke by some mighty hand, set up a wild thrumming.”
Jack London’s, A Son of the Sun