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Pacific
Venture
Life on the high
seas in the 17th century
by John Vint
Synopsis:
For
a young man in early 17th century Spain, the lure of the sea is hard to
ignore; and for Jose, it proves irresistible. Signing on to a crew, he
learns his job the hard way, but by perseverance is rewarded as a potential
leader. His Ship captures a couple of Dutch ships and the armada is used
to ferry bullion between the New and Old Worlds. Meantime a merchant's
daughter sets her cap at Jose and their courtship has to be conducted in
the intervals of exploration.
The
ship is sent to discover the legendary "Terra Australis Incognita", rumoured
to be somewhere off the South American coast. On their journey, the crew
have to contend with adverse weather conditions and skirmishes with Dutch
ships and they cannot predict the reception they receive from natives -
will they be friendly or hostile? But Jose has yet to face the fiercest
battle, against the Spaniards' implacable foe. Written by a Master Mariner,
Pacific Venture is an exciting yarn of the days when sail was king. One
and possibly the most important feature, the vessel under the command of
Torres was the first to visit the strait named after him and to prove New
Guinea was an island and not an extension of Australia.
Book
Reviews:
The
Nautical Magazine (specialist Naval Press monthly) February 2003
John
Vint has a long career in the Merchant Navy behind him. He holds a Masters
Certificate and he served as a Marine Superintendent. It is therefore not
surprising to find that his book bristles with nautical references.
This
three hundred page novel is historical, set in the days of the tall sailing
ships. Interestingly, it features the world as seen by a Spanish sailor
working the routes around the coast of South America. The title is alittle
misleading as the action covers both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Our
hero - Jose - joins the Nino as a junior sailor and begins
his nautical career cleaning out the ship's bilges. He quickly becomes
an experienced seaman and after several adventures undertakes a journey
to find the "Terra Australis Incognita". There are plenty of obstacles
to overcome; the usual perils of the weather, the enemy Dutch vessels -
and inevitably the local natives who are not always friendly.
Jose
is joined onboard by Isabella to provide a general romantic dimension to
the story. They marry and she continues to accompany him on their journey.
But much of the interest in the book is with the battles of one sort or
another and the ship handling problems encountered and overcome.
This
is a reasonable tale; not one to set the blood racing but not objectionable
in the detail of violence or sex that so often spoils modern literature.
A map covering the vast areas traversed by Jose and his companions would
have been a useful addition for the reader.
Sussex
Life (Regional Magazine monthly) November 2002
Full
of a heady mixture of excitement and historical accuracy this is a stirring
yarn of the days of tall sailing ships, full of adventure and the thrill
of exploring the unknown. Through the unusual viewpoint of a Spanish sailor
the reader experiences all the perils of a long and dangerous voyage to
find the fabled "Terra Austrlalis Incognita".
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