Posted by Ed Kiser on June 07, 2013 at 15:01:35 user Kisered.
reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Swallow
31 ships of the Royal Navy have been named "SWALLOW".
In Picts and Martyrs, in Chapter 2, Dot is on a train
heading for the Lake, reading a book, "THE SEAHAWK".
In this story, Sir Oliver is taken by force away on a
ship to be sold as a galley slave to the pirates of
North Africa. The ship that took him from England
was the SWALLOW. Somehow Dot did not find it all that
necessary to note this appearance of that name as
being the same name of the ship used by the Walkers.
Another name that appears in that book is ANDREA DORIA
a man who was from Genoa, and became a naval admiral that
served several masters from time to time, but is noted
in Dot's book as being one that successfully had
a naval battle with some North African Pirates.
Perhaps we might remember an Italian passenger ship
named the ANDREA DORIA about 50 years ago that was
rammed in the fog off New York harbor and sunk. So
when that name showed up in Dot's book, it struck
a bit of memory about that lost liner, so I had to look
up that name to find out more about where that name
came from.
Thanks to Dot, I got to read and enjoy another good book.
Another book that Dot discovered to be in the FRAM in
WINTER HOLIDAY was the "RIDDLE OF THE SANDS" but she
did not think it was her kind of story. But I had to
get it and add it to my library. If one is interested
in SAILING especially in tidal shoal waters, this book
presents quite an adventure.
Then there is "Falcon on the Baltic" which comes highly
recommended by Ransome that I consider also to be a
worthy addition to my library.
And of course, I had to have E.F.Knight's "SAILING"
since it was obviously of great value to Dick in PICTS
AND MARTYRS as he studied it hard as preparation for
actually sailing his own ship, the SCARAB.
So with the above additions to my personal library, I
do owe Ransome a thanks of gratitude for enlarging my
readings over these many years, over and above the
wonderful books he wrote himself which continue to
please my occasional moments of fancy.
Ed Kiser, Kentucky [kisered AT aol DOT com]