The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-16

ing and the general idea of the voyage
all came about easily enough. the
project was not a new one: Robert /
Louis Stevenson's idea was similar
the proposed London voyage /
is much more elaborate IN detail Ste
venson was after health, primarily !
while Jack London looks more for
travel and adventure.
The proposed voyage is adventurous
enough to please the most romantic o.
writer's or readers. The Shark Is
sturdy boat; much smaller craft have
sailed successfully on trips as long. but
here start out six people: Jack Lon
don, with some deep sea experience out
little knowledge of navigation; Mrs.
London. wife and comrade Of the now
eiist; two young men just out of col
lege. gritty and athletic enough, but
no sailors, not even amateurs; Japa-
nese, and Captain Games, the last
named the only practical mariner as
far as navigation goes. OF course the
others undoubtedly can and will mas
ter the mysteries, of sextant and chro-
nometer, compass and dead reckoning
but they will not do it before they
start II am going to cram on navi-
CATION and gas engines after We get
started said Mr. London in speaking
of his plans And so off they go, their
itinerary the globe, their only premed-
itated destination Hawaii, with the
Marauesas, Samoa, Polynesia in gen.
eral. and then the China Sea as
vague prospect. Time is no OBJECT
this is how it has all come about:
~ rrof
few tools and no permanent location.
Mr.. London needs but a typewriter
and a postoffice now and then, in or
der to turn out his work. AS long as
the climate does not prevent effort the
author may go whittier he listeth, MS
adyenturing proving rather help than
a hindrance from an advertising stano-
noint aside from its educational value.
Having arrived at the stage wnere ms
wares are contracted for far ahead,
London resolved upon trip AROUND
the world. Travelling under ordinary
tourist conditions he dislikes, part,cu-
larly as it precludes much of the nee
essary surroundings for steady WORK
Then, too, he wants to go many places
not on the steamship routes, SO came
the idea of the Shark. boat that
can sail across an ocean. beat ner way
up the Amazon or the -tse-klang'
be laid up for weeks at time Whlie
her owners range ashore.
There iss no idea of any particular
itinerary, no plan of visiting certain
region in search of local color or plots
for stories yet to be told. nave
now" said Mr.. London, more mate
rial in hand than / could finish IN
lifetime" Some effect the trip must
have upon the writer, the acquaintance
with fresh lands and peoples must IN
fallibly broaden his imagination ana
mentality-for he is yet a young man
even though it does not widen the
scope of his stories or affect his style.
Some influence upon his style is to be
expected. His tales have all been sug-
gested by happenings, his color ac-
duired at first hand. His Wolf dogs
he has known, caressed and STUDIED
his men are drawn from life or from
types that suggested the nucleus
around which he has woven psycholog-
ieaI subtleties and physical happen
ings. His live perception is pound 70
see deeds and pictures that will appeal
to his desire to portray them Sucn
stories will perhaps come after the
voyage is thing of the past. l write
best in retrospect" said he, new
scenes and happenings crowd me TOO
wildly at first for expression. they
drop into shape later, like the patterns
of a Kaleidoscope after shaking.
The planning and building of the
Shark was a long labor. London want
ed a vessel staunch enough to survive
the fury of the gales and the possible
bun1pings of shoal or reef. he want
ed a boat that would steer with COM
fort. and of a rig to ride out gaze
in easy fashion. He wanted power 10
stem adverse currents and winds, ana
hid defiance to Gains. So the Shark
was made a ketch rig, little known IN
Pacific waters, the popular rig OF North
| Sea fishermen. She carries mainsati
and mizzen, differing from the yawi
rig in the mizzen being larger anu
shipped farther inboard. She has stay
sail and jib, with flying jib, big
spinnaker that can be swung around
| for a balloon jib, a gait topsall with
| a spirit, and a storm trysaii Dirty
weather proves the comfort of the
ketch AS with a yawl. the ma-nsali
can come down in a storm, and under
| a small head sail and the mizzen, shu
will ride out a gale in comfort ana
need little attention at the helm. me
| staysail is fitted with boom and WI
swing over freely at change of tack.
For cruising up rivers, for stenmihs
unfavorable currents, running through
Gains. perhaps in escape from canoes
| Of cannibal islanders or from junks oil
piraticaI Chinese. for riding out ty-
phoons and all purposes where anxll-
| AIRY power is needed, the Shark carries
a seventy-fiye horsepower engine, 1hat
can send her along at ten miles an
hour or better. There have been crlIl-
cisms made as to the unnecessary size
| of the engine and its consumption vi
gasoline, but Mr.. London feels that ne
need not run full power all the time ana
when he wants the engine badly ne
wants a powerful one. About PM
per horsepower is her gasoline con-
sumption at full power, and behlnd
water. gas and alright bulkhead art
| the craft VIII carry one thousand gar
| Ions of gasoline. meaning one thou-
| sand miles of power radius -
| full speed Going up still waters
| of river travel. extra gasoline