The Black Schooner; or, Jib Junk, the Old Tar

Catalog Note "The Black Schooner; or, Jib Junk, the Old Tar" by Roger Starbuck is a maritime adventure serial. The narrative opens on an island in the South Pacific near the Fiji Islands, where missionary John Malden and his eighteen-year-old daughter Bertha witness a naval boat carrying First Lieutenant Elmore and old sailor Jib Junk wrecked upon the reef during a fierce gale. The two castaways are rescued by native islanders and brought to Malden's stone house. Elmore explains his vessel, the brig Dauntless, was searching for the pirate ship "The Flying Wake" when separated from him by hurricane. Malden reveals he recently observed a suspicious schooner near the island. The story emphasizes nautical danger, exotic island setting, and emerging romantic interest between Elmore and Bertha, with colorful characterization of the weathered sailor Junk.