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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
A description of the narrator's wanderings around Australia and the South Pacific. Much of the material appears to be autobiographical and he also relates a number of tales that were told to him during his travels.
Contents
* Contents derived from the
London,
c
England,c
c
United Kingdom (UK),c
Western Europe,
Europe,:T. Fisher Unwin
, 1908 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.-
Paul, the Diver,
single work
prose
A village chief tries to poison a diver and his two companions who have been separated from their ship in a cyclone. The stranded party take a brutal revenge.
-
The Old Sea Life,
single work
prose
Becke bemoans the passing of the age of the sailing ship and criticises the crews of the steamers that have replaced them.
-
The Blind Man of Admiralty Island,
single work
prose
A ship's captain is struck blind by lightning during a shipwreck. He and his wife and young daughter live as castaways on an uninhabited island until rescued by a passing ship.
-
Nisan Island : A Tale of the Old Trading Days,
single work
prose
A ship's captain returns to an island in the Solomons to avenge the massacre of a party of his crew members. The mission is assisted by a crew member who survived the massacre and has been held captive by the village chief.
-
Mutinies,
single work
prose
Becke writes about his experiences during two mutinies.
-
Mani,
single work
prose
Tells the story of Pacific Islander, Mani, and her violent French husband.
-
At Night,
single work
prose
Becke describes the peace of a typical night on a Pacific island which was 'owned' by Bully Hayes. He and his partner lived on the island for several months with a group of Hawaiian workers.
-
The Cranks of the Julia Brig,
single work
prose
Tells the story of 'The Island Brothers' Association of Christians', an American religious group with utopian desires and missionary intentions. Becke describes how he persuaded them to abandon their ill-fated mission. He condemns such groups as often being no more than a front for stealing land.
-
'Dandy', the Ship's Dingo,
single work
prose
The story of an unfortunate dingo, captured in North Queensland as a pup, who is taken on board as a ship's dog.
-
Kala-Hoi, the Net-Maker,
single work
prose
Kala-Hoi, an old man, shares his memories with the narrator, including the tragic deaths of his wife and twin sons.
-
The Kanaka Labour Trade in the Pacific,
single work
prose
Becke outlines the history of the labour trade in the Pacific, known as 'black-birding', from its start in 1863 to the deportation of Pacific Islander workers from Queensland, beginning in November, 1906.
While Becke condemns the early practices he himself worked as a 'recruiter' and he attempts to present a benign picture of the trade under British regulation. He gives a detailed account of how the labourers were 'recruited', as well as portraying the 'recruiter' as a supposedly fearless hero.
-
My Friends, the Anthropophagi,
single work
prose
Becke relates a number of anecdotes, including tales from his own experiences, amongst allegedly cannibal tribes in the Pacific region, particularly New Guinea.
-
On the 'Joys' of Recruiting 'Blackbirds',
single work
prose
In response to an enquiry from an English acquaintance, Becke dispels the belief that 'recruiting' is a gentlemanly and leisurely occupation.
-
Making a Fortune in the South Seas,
single work
prose
Becke writes of the financial realities and physical hardships of earning a living in the Pacific Islands. His essay is written in response to a series of articles that extolled the ease with which fortunes were to be made in the Pacific region.
-
The Story of Tokolme,
single work
prose
While hunting wild boar with a group of Islanders Becke learns the history of Tokolme, the site of an ancient fortress where an act of terrible treachery once occurred in pre-European times.
-
'Lano-To',
single work
prose
Becke describes the beauty of a mountain lake inland from the capital, Apia, on the island of Upolu.
-
'Ombre Chevalier',
single work
prose
Becke describes the day to day life of a small group of prospectors in the Upper Burdekin district in North Queensland, and reveals the origin of the name ombre chevalier.
-
A Recluse in the Bush,
single work
prose
While on a hunting trip, Becke meets a man who lives alone in the bush. The man tells Becke his rather tragic story and joins him on his expedition.
-
Te-Bari, the Outlaw,
single work
prose
Recovering from malaria, Becke encounters the notorious outlaw Te-Bari, an islander from Miana in Kiribati Group, who has a tumultuous past. Seeing that Becke is unwell, Te-Bari invites him back to the cave where he lives.
-
'The Dandiest Boy that Ever Stood Up in a Boat',
single work
prose
Tells the story of the people of Nukutavake, in the Tuamotu Group, who were decimated by an outbreak of smallpox, which killed a third of the island's population in two months. Becke also visits the grave of a young boat-steerer, the 'dandiest boy' of the title, who was killed in a whaling accident twelve years before.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
Books and Authors
1910
single work
column
— Appears in: The Queenslander , 6 August 1910; (p. 20) -
Miscellaneous Works
1908
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australasian , 20 June vol. 84 no. 2203 1908; (p. 1545-1546)
— Review of The Call of the South 1908 single work non-fiction autobiography -
New Books
1908
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australian Town and Country Journal , 25 March vol. 76 no. 1990 1908; (p. 55)
— Review of The Call of the South 1908 single work non-fiction autobiography
-
Miscellaneous Works
1908
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australasian , 20 June vol. 84 no. 2203 1908; (p. 1545-1546)
— Review of The Call of the South 1908 single work non-fiction autobiography -
New Books
1908
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australian Town and Country Journal , 25 March vol. 76 no. 1990 1908; (p. 55)
— Review of The Call of the South 1908 single work non-fiction autobiography -
Books and Authors
1910
single work
column
— Appears in: The Queenslander , 6 August 1910; (p. 20)
Last amended 20 Mar 2009 16:07:26
Subjects:
- South Pacific, Pacific Region,
- Queensland,
- New South Wales,
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