South Sea Notes by Louis Becke
South Sea Notes is a collection of stories and essays by Louis Becke, a 19th century Australian author and adventurer. The book is divided into two parts. The first part is a series of stories about Becke's travels and adventures in the South Pacific, including his time in the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and the Gilbert Islands. The second part is a series of essays on various topics related to the South Pacific, such as the culture and customs of the people, the geography and climate, and the history of the region. Becke's writing is vivid and engaging, and his stories are filled with humor and insight. South Sea Notes is an entertaining and informative look at the South Pacific from the perspective of a man who lived and traveled there.
By Louis Becke · First published 1902 · Genre: Travel Writing, Adventure, Historical Fiction · 2 chapters · 3,748 words
First lines
That many animals, particularly cattle and deer, are very fond of salt we all know, but it is not often that birds show any taste for it, or, if so, the circumstance has not generally been noted. In 1881, however, the present writer was residing on Gazelle Peninsula, the northern portion of the magnificent island of New Britain in the South Pacific, and had many opportunities of witnessing both cockatoos and wild pigeons drinking salt water. I was stationed at a place called Kabaira, the then "furthest-out" trading station on the whole island, and as I had but little to do in the way of work, I found plenty of time to study the bird-life in the vicinity. Parrots of several varieties, and all of beautiful plumage, were very plentiful, and immense flocks of white cockatoos frequented the rolling, grassy downs which lay between my home and the German head-station in Blanche Bay, twenty miles distant, while the heavy forest of the littoral was the haunt of thousands of pigeons. These latter, though not so large as the Samoan, or Eastern Polynesian bird, formed a very agreeable change of diet for us white traders, and by walking about fifty yards from one's door, half a dozen or more could be shot in as many minutes.
What this Textopian page supports
South Sea Notes is listed on Textopian as an essay by Louis Becke, dated 1902 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Louis Becke
- Date: 1902 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Travel Writing, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Biography
- Length: 3,748 words
- Structure: 2 chapters, 114 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for South Sea Notes by Louis Becke
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering South Sea Notes?
- How does this essay by Louis Becke fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Travel Writing — Louis Becke's 'South Sea Notes' is a collection of travel stories and observations from his time spent in the South Pacific Islands.
- Adventure — The book contains stories of Becke's adventures in the South Pacific Islands, including his encounters with the native people and his exploration of the islands.
- Historical Fiction — The book is set in the late 19th century and contains stories of Becke's experiences in the South Pacific Islands during this time period.
- Biography — The book is a collection of stories from Becke's life, including his travels and experiences in the South Pacific Islands.
Tags
travel · adventure · South Pacific · island life · exploration · cultural observations · colonialism · nature · maritime · personal narrative · historical context · memoir