"A Bunch of Rope Yarns" by Stanton H. King is a collection of personal stories and observations about life at sea written in the early 20th century. The book addresses the experiences of sailors, touching on topics related to superstitions, personal development, and the relationships built amongst the crew, often narrated with a mix of humor and earnest reflection. Through various anecdotes, it reveals the camaraderie, challenges, and the unique culture of
seamen. The opening of the text begins with a heartfelt dedication to Mary Bennett Holden, a woman dedicated to uplifting sailors through social engagement and charity work. King reminisces about his journey from his first days at sea to his personal growth and the education he sought. This narrative unfolds with letters he received after publishing his first work, indicating a desire to connect with fellow seamen and share life lessons. As he tackles various questions posed to him, he recounts personal stories of temptations, struggles with peer pressures, and the pursuit of a better life, underscoring themes of redemption and community among sailors. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
United States: Richard G. Badger, The Gorham Press, 1902, pubdate 1903.
Contents
How I was educated -- Mission work among seamen -- The forecastle -- Superstitions of seamen -- The lucky bag -- The sailor and his dudheen -- Pets aboard ship -- How sailors wash their clothes -- The lead line -- Rhymes foretelling weather -- Rules of the road at sea -- Signalling at sea.
Credits
hekula03, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Reading Level
Reading ease score: 74.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
