Harvey Cheyne, the spoiled adolescent son of a railroad tycoon, falls overboard from a luxury ocean liner into the frigid North Atlantic. Rescued by a Portuguese fisherman, he is taken aboard the “We're Here,” a small schooner sailing out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Captain Disko Troop refuses to believe Harvey’s claims of immense wealth and forces the boy to work as a lowly deckhand for the duration of the fishing season. Harvey learns to handle dories, clean cod, and navigate the Grand Banks under harsh conditions alongside the captain’s son, Dan.
This novel serves young adult readers interested in historical maritime life and the transition from vanity to self-reliance. It provides a detailed look at the nineteenth-century merchant fishing industry, including the technical labor of the salt-cod trade. Readers walk away with a clear understanding of how physical discipline, manual skill, and social immersion within a working-class environment can reshape an individual's character. It offers a factual perspective on the grit required to survive at sea.
- Published
- 1896
- Language
- EN
