The Land of a Thousand Whales

R. Gordon Moyles is professor emeritus of English at the University of
Alberta. He is co-author of Imperial Dreams and Colonial Realities:
British Views of Canada, 1880–1914, author of The Salvation Army and
the Public, and editor of “Improved by Cult

In Red Bay, Labrador, writes Browne, nobody thought too much about the
orange rocks that littered the beaches or about the piles of whale bones
that were everywhere. It was not until the 1970s that Selma Barkham
finally determined that Red Bay was really Butus, the port where men
from Spain and France hunted whales in the 16th century. The red rocks
were their roofing tiles, and the bones, of course, the remains of their
whale-oil rendering business.

Browne, now well known for her fictional re-creations of Newfoundland
and Labrador historical events (such as Marconi’s Secret and The
Amazing Adventures of Bob Bartlett) takes us back to the Red Bay of
1576, creating, through the eyes and experiences of Sebastian, a young
stowaway, the perils and pleasures of that time, the practical aspects
of whale-hunting and blubber-rendering into oil, and the lives of the
whalers themselves. She neatly blends the factual elements into an
attractive personal story, making the reason for Sebastian’s wish to
be a whaler, his contretemps with another young aspirant, and his heroic
actions seem entirely natural. She is a fine writer, indeed, more
especially to be read because she diligently researches her subjects and
brings them to life with vitality and assurance. This book—in fact,
all her books—will not only be enjoyed by young readers, but also by
any adult (teachers take note) interested in our fascinating history.
Highly recommended.