Sam Steele's Adventures on Land and Sea
Encyclopedia
Sam Steele's Adventures on Land and Sea is a juvenile adventure novel written by L. Frank Baum
, famous as the creator of the Land of Oz
. The book was Baum's first effort at writing specifically for an audience of adolescent boys, a market he would pursue in the coming years of his career. The novel was first published in 1906
, under the pen name "Capt. Hugh Fitzgerald," one of Baum's multiple pseudonyms.
(1900). By the middle of the twentieth century's first decade, he was working diligently to branch out into other markets. In 1905 he released his first adult novel, The Fate of a Crown
(as the work of "Schuyler Staunton"); in 1906 he issued his first books for adolescent girls, Annabel
(as by "Suzanne Metcalf") and Aunt Jane's Nieces
(by "Edith Van Dyne"), as well as his first book for boys. The 1906 Sam Steele title was the first book in a projected series; "Capt. Fitzgerald" followed up with Sam Steele's Adventures in Panama in 1907.
From San Francisco, Sam and his uncle embark on Naboth's ship the Flipper, carrying provisions north for the miners of the Alaska Gold Rush. A storm casts them onto a remote island, occupied by stranded and desperate miners who have struck a rich goldfield. The crew of the Flipper have to cope with thieves and the hazards of nature before they can return with ample rewards for their trouble.
At home again, Sam and Naboth discover that Sam's father Captain Steele has survived shipwreck (with the loss of a leg). Re-united with his father, Sam regains his lost patrimony.
Baum's plot was influenced by Robert Louis Stevenson
's Treasure Island
and by H. Rider Haggard
's She
. In turn, Baum borrowed elements from his first Sam Steele book when he came to write The Sea Fairies
five years later. He turned his character Naboth Perkins into Cap'n Bill
in the later book.
's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn being probably the most famous example), the role of racism and other prejudices in Baum's books has been a focus of attention from critics and readers. Baum repeatedly displays a resistance to, and rejection of, prejudice and xenophobia in his works — but he also exploits the stereotypes common in his era, usually for comic effect. (See: Sky Island
; Daughters of Destiny
; Father Goose: His Book
; Father Goose's Year Book
.)
Material in the first Sam Steele book bears upon this subject. Two key supporting characters are men from the Sulu Archipelago
nicknamed "Nux" and "Bryonia;" the gruffer characters in the book refer to them as "niggers." The two become friends and companions of Sam Steele, and are presented as unflinchingly loyal, reliable, courageous, caring, strong, and resourceful. After one crisis in their adventures, Sam remarks, "I realized, with a grateful heart, that I owed all my good fortune and narrow escapes to the faithful Sulu men...;" Uncle Naboth expresses his satisfaction that the two men accompany Sam, for "Those men are as faithful and honest as any men on earth...."
(For a comparable affirmative portrayal of South Sea islanders, see Baum's short story "The Tiger's Eye
.")
Sam Steele's Adventures on Land and Sea was reprinted in the first issue of the annual Oz-story Magazine
in 1995. There, Howard Heath's original illustrations were replaced with pictures culled from the large output of veteran Baum illustrator John R. Neill
.
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
, famous as the creator of the Land of Oz
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
. The book was Baum's first effort at writing specifically for an audience of adolescent boys, a market he would pursue in the coming years of his career. The novel was first published in 1906
1906 in literature
The year 1906 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:* December 24 - Reginald Fessenden transmits the first radio program, a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech, broadcasts....
, under the pen name "Capt. Hugh Fitzgerald," one of Baum's multiple pseudonyms.
Audiences and markets
In the years around the turn of the twentieth century (1897–1905), Baum had succeeded in establishing himself as a popular author of children's books, most notably with The Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
(1900). By the middle of the twentieth century's first decade, he was working diligently to branch out into other markets. In 1905 he released his first adult novel, The Fate of a Crown
The Fate of a Crown
The Fate of a Crown is a 1905 adventure novel written by L. Frank Baum, the author best known for his Oz books. It was published under the pen name "Schuyler Staunton," one of Baum's several pseudonyms...
(as the work of "Schuyler Staunton"); in 1906 he issued his first books for adolescent girls, Annabel
Annabel (novel)
Annabel: A Novel for Young Folk is a 1906 juvenile novel written by L. Frank Baum, the author famous for his series of books on the Land of Oz. The book was issued under the pen name "Suzanne Metcalf," one of Baum's various pseudonyms...
(as by "Suzanne Metcalf") and Aunt Jane's Nieces
Aunt Jane's Nieces
Aunt Jane's Nieces is the title of a juvenile novel published by Reilly & Britton in 1906, and written by L. Frank Baum under the pen name "Edith Van Dyne." Since the book was the first in a series of novels designed for adolescent girls, its title was applied to the entire series of ten books,...
(by "Edith Van Dyne"), as well as his first book for boys. The 1906 Sam Steele title was the first book in a projected series; "Capt. Fitzgerald" followed up with Sam Steele's Adventures in Panama in 1907.
The story
Unusually for Baum, the tale of Sam Steele's Adventures on Land and Sea is told in the first person, by the title character. Sam Steele is the son of a sea captain; his father is reported killed in a shipwreck, and Sam is quickly cheated of his inheritance. Now an orphan, he meets his maternal uncle, Naboth Perkins, another sea captain and ship-owner; together the two set sail in the Pacific trade. Sam Steele "is a stereotyped ideal: a capable, brave, enterprising, likable, manly sixteen-year-old American."From San Francisco, Sam and his uncle embark on Naboth's ship the Flipper, carrying provisions north for the miners of the Alaska Gold Rush. A storm casts them onto a remote island, occupied by stranded and desperate miners who have struck a rich goldfield. The crew of the Flipper have to cope with thieves and the hazards of nature before they can return with ample rewards for their trouble.
At home again, Sam and Naboth discover that Sam's father Captain Steele has survived shipwreck (with the loss of a leg). Re-united with his father, Sam regains his lost patrimony.
Baum's plot was influenced by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
's Treasure Island
Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
and by H. Rider Haggard
H. Rider Haggard
Sir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a founder of the Lost World literary genre. He was also involved in agricultural reform around the British Empire...
's She
She (novel)
She, subtitled A History of Adventure, is a novel by Henry Rider Haggard, first serialized in The Graphic magazine from October 1886 to January 1887. She is one of the classics of imaginative literature, and with over 83 million copies sold in 44 different languages, one of the best-selling books...
. In turn, Baum borrowed elements from his first Sam Steele book when he came to write The Sea Fairies
The Sea Fairies
The Sea Fairies is a children's fantasy novel written by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by John R. Neill, and published in 1911 by the Reilly & Britton Company, the publisher of Baum's series of Oz books...
five years later. He turned his character Naboth Perkins into Cap'n Bill
Cap'n Bill
Cap'n Bill Weedles is a fictional character found in L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz. Cap'n Bill and his friend Trot were introduced in Baum's fantasy novels The Sea Fairies and Sky Island . They first appear in Oz in The Scarecrow of Oz , the ninth book in the Oz series.Cap'n Bill Weedles is an...
in the later book.
The bias question
As with other traditional authors and their books (Mark TwainMark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn being probably the most famous example), the role of racism and other prejudices in Baum's books has been a focus of attention from critics and readers. Baum repeatedly displays a resistance to, and rejection of, prejudice and xenophobia in his works — but he also exploits the stereotypes common in his era, usually for comic effect. (See: Sky Island
Sky Island (novel)
Sky Island: Being the Further Adventures of Trot and Cap'n Bill after Their Visit to the Sea Fairies is a children's fantasy novel written by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by John R...
; Daughters of Destiny
Daughters of Destiny (novel)
Daughters of Destiny is a 1906 adventure novel written by L. Frank Baum, famous as the author of the Oz books. Baum published the novel under the pen name "Schuyler Staunton," one of his several pseudonyms...
; Father Goose: His Book
Father Goose: His Book
Father Goose: His Book is a collection of nonsense poetry for children, written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow, and first published in 1899. Though generally neglected a century later, the book was a groundbreaking sensation in its own era; "once America's best-selling children's...
; Father Goose's Year Book
Father Goose's Year Book
Father Goose's Year Book: Quaint Quacks and Feathered Shafts for Mature Children is a collection of humorous nonsense poetry written by L. Frank Baum, author of the Oz books. It was published in 1907.The book was illustrated by Walter J...
.)
Material in the first Sam Steele book bears upon this subject. Two key supporting characters are men from the Sulu Archipelago
Sulu Archipelago
The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the southwestern Philippines. This archipelago is considered to be part of the Moroland by the local rebel independence movement. This island group forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea....
nicknamed "Nux" and "Bryonia;" the gruffer characters in the book refer to them as "niggers." The two become friends and companions of Sam Steele, and are presented as unflinchingly loyal, reliable, courageous, caring, strong, and resourceful. After one crisis in their adventures, Sam remarks, "I realized, with a grateful heart, that I owed all my good fortune and narrow escapes to the faithful Sulu men...;" Uncle Naboth expresses his satisfaction that the two men accompany Sam, for "Those men are as faithful and honest as any men on earth...."
(For a comparable affirmative portrayal of South Sea islanders, see Baum's short story "The Tiger's Eye
The Tiger's Eye
The Tiger's Eye: A Jungle Fairy Tale is a short story by L. Frank Baum, famous as the creator of the Land of Oz. The story was unpublished in its own era, but has attracted significant attention since its belated publication in 1962....
.")
Later editions
The two Sam Steele books of 1906 and 1907 did not sell as well as their author and publisher had hoped they would. Reilly & Britton give not give up on the project, however; they re-issued both books with new titles in 1908, under yet another pen name, "Floyd Akers." (A possible derivation: "F. Akers" from "fakers.") The first book, Sam Steele's Adventures on Land and Sea, was re-titled The Boy Fortune Hunters in Alaska (though there is only one boy fortune hunter in it); its sequel was re-titled The Boy Fortune Hunters in Panama. Baum wrote a third volume in the series, The Boy Fortune Hunters in Egypt, also published in 1908; he added three more titles to the series in the next three years, with more boys, and of course more fortune hunting.Sam Steele's Adventures on Land and Sea was reprinted in the first issue of the annual Oz-story Magazine
Oz-story Magazine
Oz-story Magazine was an annual periodical devoted to the literature and art of Oz, the fantasy land created by L. Frank Baum. It was published in six volumes between 1995 and 2000....
in 1995. There, Howard Heath's original illustrations were replaced with pictures culled from the large output of veteran Baum illustrator John R. Neill
John R. Neill
John Rea Neill was a magazine and children's book illustrator primarily known for illustrating more than forty stories set in the Land of Oz, including L. Frank Baum's, Ruth Plumly Thompson's, and three of his own. His pen-and-ink drawings have become identified almost exclusively with the Oz series...
.