British novelist, born in London on the 5th of April 1857 and was educated for a few years only at a dame school and Westbourne school, Paddington. When he was nine years old his school life came to an end, and he was employed as an errand boy for a time. In 1869 he went to sea, serving before the mast, and travelled to all parts of the world in various capacities including that of chief mate. In 1883 he gave up this seafaring life and became a clerk in the Meteorological Office until 1889. His reputation was made over the publication of The Cruise of the “Cachelot” (1906); and he also wrote, amongst other books, Idylls of the Sea (1899); Sea Wrack (1903); The Call of the Deep (1907) and A Compleat Sea Cook (1912), besides many articles and essays. He died at Madeira on the 1st of March 1915.
