The Cruise of the Snark (1911) is a work of travel literature by American writer Jack London. In 1906- after achieving early success as an author of novels and short stories- London began dreaming of the adventures of his youth. Inspired- he spent a fortune to build a 45-foot yacht complete with two sails and a 70-horsepower engine- powerful enough to carry him across the Pacific. Envisioning a seven-year journey- London and his wife Charmian set sail on the Snark with a small crew in 1907. Over the next two years- they would visit Hawaii—where London learned to surf and visited a leper colony—and the Marquesas Islands—made famous by Herman Melville’s first novel- Typee. Other stops included Tahiti- Bora Bora- Fiji- Samoa- and the Solomon Islands. During the voyage- London learned the art of sailing and celestial navigation- ensuring that his travelogue—which he filled with photographs from the journey—would be authentic and instructive. In 1909- the Snark was forced to end its voyage in Guadalcanal so that London- suffering from infection- could be taken to a hospital in Sydney. To help cover costs- the Snark was sold in Australia in 1909- and the Londons returned to America via Ecuador later that year.
