The Pilot | Page 2

in the work; the opinions
of his different friends being anything but encouraging. One would

declare that the sea could not be made interesting; that it was tame,
monotonous, and without any other movement than unpleasant storms,
and that, for his part, the less he got of it the better. The women very
generally protested that such a book would have the odor of bilge water,
and that it would give them the maladie de mer. Not a single individual
among all those who discussed the merits of the project, within the
range of the author's knowledge, either spoke, or looked, encouragingly.
It is probable that all these persons anticipated a signal failure.
So very discouraging did these ominous opinions get to be that the
writer was, once or twice, tempted to throw his manuscript aside, and
turn to something new. A favorable opinion, however, coming from a
very unexpected quarter, put a new face on the matter, and raised new
hopes. Among the intimate friends of the writer was an Englishman,
who possessed most of the peculiar qualities of the educated of his
country. He was learned even, had a taste that was so just as always to
command respect, but was prejudiced, and particularly so in all that
related to this country and its literature. He could never be persuaded to
admire Bryant's Water-Fowl, and this mainly because if it were
accepted as good poetry, it must be placed at once amongst the finest
fugitive pieces of the language. Of the Thanatopsis he thought better,
though inclined to suspect it of being a plagiarism. To the tender
mercies of this one- sided critic, who had never affected to compliment
the previous works of the author, the sheets of a volume of the Pilot
were committed, with scarce an expectation of his liking them. The
reverse proved to be the case;--he expressed himself highly gratified,
and predicted a success for the book which it probably never attained.
Thus encouraged, one more experiment was made, a seaman being
selected for the critic. A kinsman, a namesake, and an old messmate of
the author, one now in command on a foreign station, was chosen, and
a considerable portion of the first volume was read to him. There is no
wish to conceal the satisfaction with which the effect on this listener
was observed. He treated the whole matter as fact, and his criticisms
were strictly professional, and perfectly just. But the interest he
betrayed could not be mistaken. It gave a perfect and most gratifying
assurance that the work would be more likely to find favor with
nautical men than with any other class of readers.
The Pilot could scarcely be a favorite with females. The story has little

interest for them, nor was it much heeded by the author of the book, in
the progress of his labors. His aim was to illustrate vessels and the
ocean, rather than to draw any pictures of sentiment and love. In this
last respect, the book has small claims on the reader's attention, though
it is hoped that the story has sufficient interest to relieve the more
strictly nautical features of the work.
It would be affectation to deny that the Pilot met with a most unlooked-
for success. The novelty of the design probably contributed a large
share of this result. Sea-tales came into vogue, as a consequence; and,
as every practical part of knowledge has its uses, something has been
gained by letting the landsman into the secrets of the seaman's manner
of life. Perhaps, in some small degree, an interest has been awakened in
behalf of a very numerous, and what has hitherto been a sort of
proscribed class of men, that may directly tend to a melioration of their
condition.
It is not easy to make the public comprehend all the necessities of a
service afloat. With several hundred rude beings confined within the
narrow limits of a vessel, men of all nations and of the lowest habits, it
would be to the last degree indiscreet to commence their reformation by
relaxing the bonds of discipline, under the mistaken impulses of a false
philanthropy. It has a lofty sound, to be sure, to talk about American
citizens being too good to be brought under the lash, upon the high seas;
but he must have a very mistaken notion who does not see that tens of
thousands of these pretending persons on shore, even, would be greatly
benefited by a little judicious flogging. It is the judgment in
administering, and not the mode of punishment, that requires to be
looked into; and, in this respect, there has certainly been a great
improvement of late years. It is seldom, indeed, that any institution,
practice, or system, is improved by the blind interference of