The Yarn of Old Harbour Town

William Clark Russell

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The story of this novel begins at Old Harbour House, which stood about a mile from the Harbour. It confronted the town which lay about one mile and a half off, right across a wide, romantic, heavily-wooded ravine. The banks of this gap sloped softly and pleasantly into a plain of meadows and two or three farms whose dyes of roof and cattle enriched the verdure; and down there ran a river singing in measures of music as it flowed into the Harbour and mingled its bright water with the brine of the deep beyond. One bright morning in April in that memorable year 1805, Captain Charles Acton, R.N. (retired), stood on his lawn in front of the house watching a gardener who was at work at a flowerbed. He was a slightly-built but tall, very gentleman-like man, one of the last in a crowd to be picked out as a seafarer. He was pale, his nose aquiline, lips thin, and the expression of the mouth firm. He was dressed in a frill shirt, a loose cravat of white cambric, a red-striped waistcoat, a long green coat with a high collar and small cuffs, tight breeches to the ankle buttoned to the middle of the thigh, and top-boots; a rather low-crowned, broad-brimmed hat sat somewhat cocked on his head. His hair was long, without powder, and tied a little way down the back in a sort of tail.

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William Clark Russell (1844-1911) was an eminent British writer, renowned for his nautical novels that captured the vivid imagination of readers with their seafaring adventures and authentic depictions of maritime life. Born to an English mother and American father, Russell followed in his father's footsteps with an early career at sea, which profoundly influenced his literary works. With a bibliography that includes 'The Wreck of the Grosvenor' (1877) and 'The Phantom Death' (1895), Russell's writings offer a blend of maritime adventure and psychological depth, earning him the epithet of 'the master of the ocean novel.' His storytelling prowess is exemplified in 'The Yarn of Old Harbour Town' (1899), a narrative that weaves together the intricate lives of sailors, their superstitions, and the perilous nature of sea voyages at the time. Russell's literary style is marked by a command of maritime vernacular, a penchant for intricate plot development, and a sympathetic treatment of his characters, often highlighting the dignity and valor of the common sailor. Russell's works continue to be celebrated for their historical authenticity and their ability to transport readers into the heart of the maritime experience.