Island of the Lost in the Ukraine

The Ukrainian rights were sold some time ago, after the Family Leisure Club got in touch with my agent.

All very mysterious, as we haven't heard anything since.

But here is the website:  ISLAND OF THE LOST IN RUSSIAN WORDS AND PICTURES

Well, I think it is Russian.  Perhaps the Ukrainian people have a different language?

Here is the description, translated by Mr Google:

Two ships are wrecked on a desert island. One team builds a hut, obtains food and fights for salvation, while the other, obeying the law of natural selection, begin to hunt each other. Two teams, two different paths and one common dream - to survive. But is it possible to save the one who has lost his human appearance?

Human appearance?  Bizarre.

The designer didn't know much about ships!  The two vessels that wrecked on desolate, uninhabited Auckland Island back in 1864 and 1865 were, respectively, a schooner, and a square-rigger.  So the jacket design is a century or so out of date.  But what the heck, it is only a digital book, so far.

I wonder how it is selling? 

Female characters in Georgian naval fiction

Old Salt Press author Linda Collison recently asked her fellow OSP stable-mates for comments on female characters in Georgian and Victorian maritime fiction.

Well, one immediately thinks of Lady Barbara in the Hornblower books, though the ghastly landlady and her even ghastlier daughter who play such a big part in the first of the series also intrude on the mind.  More pertinently, however, two of our authors do feature women in their character lists.

One is Antoine Vanner, author of the "Britannia" series.

LS Collison: Do you have any recurring female characters in your series and upon what historical figures or fictional figures were they drawn (if any?) What role do they play in the series?

Antoine Vanner:  Florence Dawlish, wife of Nicholas Dawlish, plays a leading role in several of the novels, a lesser role in others, and she has an entire novel to herself (Britannia's Amazon) which she demanded so strongly of me that I couldn't refuse her. Brave, ambitious, resourceful - and self-educated - he is Nicholas Dawlish's tower of strength and the love of his life. Starting life as a maid in an aristocratic household she's on her way to being the respected Lady Florence whom we meet in the time of the (free) short story Britannia's Eventide.

Though not direct comparisons, she has a lot in common with Flora Shaw, later Lady Lugard (Florence starts with lower social status) and with the wonderful Lady Florence Baker (Sold to her husband Sir Samuel Baker as a slave in Romania). There are also traces in her of Mary Kingsley.

Lady Agatha Kegworth, to whom, Florence was once a lady's maid and later a paid companion, is usually a presence also, sometimes (Wolf and Amazon) a very important one. She recognised and fostered Florence's desires to self-educate and this grew into warm friendship that will continue through life. Stout, myopic and clever, she is elected as the first female fellow of the Royal Society. 

Florence and Agatha's activities in Britannia's Wolf were inspired by the real life British lady volunteers who went to teh aid of refugees in the Russo-Turkish War 1877/8

The American lady journalist Mabel Bushwick made a fleeting appearance in Britannia's Shark but he returned a a major character in Britannia's Amazon. She was based on several American female journalists who took an increasing role in magazine publications in the late 19th Century.

Eleonora Blomqvist, a Swedish volunteer nurse in the early days of the Red Cross, plays a secondary but important role in Britannia's Innocent, due for publication on December 8th. She is based on real-life nurses of the period.

A thoroughly nasty female villain appears in Britannia's Amazon, and i closely based on real-life procuresses unmasked by the great investigative  journalist W.T.Stead.

A specific real-life character who is referred to, and is important to Florence as an ally, though she hasn't played an active role herself, is Miss Agnes Weston, who worked tirelessly for almost half-a-century for the welfare of British seamen and their families. 

Memorable female characters in Georgian Naval Fiction

C.S.Forester is excellent in this respect. Lady Barbara, whom Hornblower marries, and the wonderful Frenchwoman who facilitated his escape in Flying Colours, and died in Lord Hornblower, are unforgettable. (Forester pulled off a trick that nobody has ever queried by giving Wellington a sister he never had!)

And then there is Alaric Bond, author of the "Fighting Sail" Series

LS Collison: Do you have any recurring female characters in your series and upon what historical figures or fictional figures were they drawn (if any?) What role do they play in the series?

Alaric Bond: My Fighting Sail series currently runs to twelve books and features several female characters who appear regularly and play an essential role in developing the plot. Their backgrounds are diverse and so far have included current or previous partners of a ship’s crew, shipwreck survivors and relatives of diplomats as well as others from more humble stock. None are based on any specific historical character and, as you would expect, their qualities vary greatly. The majority take little part in the actual running of the ship, although they frequently influence those that do.

The introduction of what is probably best described as an unexpected female often creates sexual tension within the confines of a broadly masculine environment and, should a relationship develop, that in itself can be important in portraying both parties. But apart from that aspect, I don’t regard any character as being gender defined as such. Temperament, personality and attitude are far more important than their sexual orientation; I have no room for token women!

Do you have any interesting minor female characters of interest who make an appearance in one of your novels? What role do they play in the story? Who were they based on?

The roles of minor female characters are just as varied and frequently carry the same importance as their more prominent sisters. To my mind, single-use characters in general are often overlooked but a carefully drawn walk-on can alter a plot dramatically while providing additional colour and contrast.

LS Collison: What female characters in the world of Georgian Naval Fiction are memorable to you, if any?

Alaric Bond: Diana Villiers is an obvious one, and I would also include Lady Barbara Wellesley and Maria Hornblower. All strong characters and superbly drawn. 

These anchored the Cortez fleet in Mexico?

Discovery of anchors may point to the remains of the ships that invaded Mexico

It might be a bit of a stretch, but some marine archaeologists are excited about some iron anchors they found.

Underwater archaeologists have found two iron anchors just offshore from the spot Hernán Cortés first set foot in Mexico, raising hopes that the fleet which the conquistador scuttled in 1519 may soon be rediscovered.

The anchors were excavated from under a metre of sediment in the Gulf of Mexico near Villa Rica, the settlement Cortes founded upon landing 500 years ago in what is now the Mexican state of Veracruz.

Cortés scuttled his ships in an attempt to prevent a mutiny by some of his men who wanted to return to Cuba, where their unauthorized expedition had originated.

Before sinking the fleet, Cortés is believed to have salvaged materials such as the sails and metal items – which were used to establish the settlement at Villa Rica.

The ship in the illustration is not one of the Cortez fleet, I hasten to say.  It is a Dutch East Indiaman of the same era, painted by some long-dead Japanese artist.  I found it in the basement gallery of the castle at Shimabara

The luxury yacht and the see-through piano

Remember the luxury yacht that was seized by the Department of Justice in Bali?


It was a story of theft and spending on a gargantuan scale, absolutely riveting and worthy of a film.


The mysterious figure behind it was a Chinese entrepreneur named Jho Low.   He, with co-conspirators in Goldman Sachs, spirited away billions from a Malaysian development fund, 1MDB, bringing about the fall of a government and the disgrace of a prime minister.

The yacht, Equanimity, was sold by the Department to a Malaysian resort- and casino-owning company, the Genting Group, which gave it the somewhat inappropriate moniker Tranquility.  It costs them $126 million USD -- a bargain, considering that Jho Low paid twice that when he commissioned and launched it.

If you are anxious to be envious, here is an assortment of pictures.  If you are anxious to charter her, then contact the company.

And, as for Jho Low, he is lying low in China.

But what about the rest of the story?  What happened to the rest of the loot?

Back in March 2018, I made a list:

With the stolen money, Jho Low bought:

A Bombardier 5000 private jet
A Van Gogh painting
Two paintings by Monet
Two paintings by Picasso (one of which he gave to Leonardo Dicaprio for his birthday)
A penthouse in the Walker Tower in New York
A Laurel mansion in Beverly Hills
The Quentas townhouse in London
A penthouse in Stratton Street, London
A 22-carat pink diamond necklace
And the yacht Equanimity

Now, the Van Gogh and the Monet are in storage in Switzerland.  The Marlon Brando Oscar statuette is in a federal warehouse in Texas.

The two penthouses and mansion are problematical, because Jho Low tied them up in trusts, "and Mr. Low “does not consider it proper for any government to seize property belonging to the trusts or himself,” said Robin Rathmell, Mr. Low’s lawyer.

The pink diamond necklace has disappeared, and Mrs. Najib, for whom it was purchased, swears she has never seen it.

And the see-through piano, which was given by Jho Low to Miranda Kerr, an Australian super-model, is stuck in her house because it won't fit through the door.  (How it got inside in the first place is a conundrum.)

The Bombardier has been grounded, but needed a $25,000 engine test first.

And, as I said, the luxury yacht was sold at a bargain price, because all the time it was afloat, the Department had to pay for a crew.

Various heads have fallen, though not tht of Elliot Broidy, who was paid (presumably by Jho Low) to lobby President Trump to halt the investigation into the theft and laundering of the billions meant for the Malaysian people.  There was also an employee of the Department of Justice, who had helped the thieves funnel the money into the United States.  And then, there is  the man who worked at Goldman Sachs who helped funnel the loot.

Ovation of the Seas revises itinerary

The cruise ship is still in Tauranga, and will not leave until tomorrow morning, 11 December.

From the New Zealand Herald

Passengers aboard the Ovation of the Seas report a sombre and "surreal" atmosphere on board the ship following yesterday's tragic shore excursion to White Island.

Guests from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship were caught up in an eruption on the volcanic White Island at around 2.11pm yesterday.

Of the 47 people on the island during the explosion 38 were cruise passengers from the Ovation.

The 4918-passenger cruise ship has stayed an extra night in the Port of Tauranga, while the situation continues to develop. However, according to the port authority the ship will now remain in dock until Wednesday morning, at the earliest.

Donna Field

✔@DonnaFieldQld

The Captain of Ovation of the Seas says the tragedy on White Island is unfathomable. He’s offered his condolences to those families onboard who are affected. Bit surreal onboard this morning @abcnews

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9:41 AM - Dec 10, 2019

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In a statement from Tauranga City Council and Tourism Bay of Plenty the Ovation was given a new departure time for Tuesday evening, with passengers being allowed to disembark from 10am this morning.

However this was later revised by the Port of Tauranga, which said the ship would be staying at least another night "due to police operational matters."

The current provisional departure time is for 7.15 on Wednesday morning.

"I ask our generous community to show aroha and give support to the cruise passengers in our city today," said Tourism Bay of Plenty Chief Executive Kristin Dunne.

Whakaari: Volcanic White Island was a popular shore excursion for cruise lines. Photo / File

A Royal Caribbean Spokesperson could not confirm this departure time, saying that they were revising the ships itinerary to help passengers and the families affected by the tragedy.

"We are working to help our guests and the authorities in the aftermath of this tragedy in any way we can."

"We are communicating with our guests and their families. We're making sure they are taken care of in terms of medical help, counselling, accommodations, and transport. Our hearts go out to them, and we want to be as supportive as we can."

It is unclear what impact this will have on the sailing, which was scheduled to be at sea today.

White Island has been a popular day-trip destination for both tourists and cruise passengers because of its dramatic volcanic activity.

However, the future of tourism on Whakaari is in doubt.

Last Tuesday GeoNet warned of a heightened level of volcanic activity but that it did "not pose a direct hazard to visitors".

As well as Royal Caribbean, ships from Azamara and Celebrity cruises have previously offered excursion to the island.

Princess Cruises - which sails three ships via the Port of Tauranga - offers scenic helicopter overflights to White Island, though passengers do not land on the island.

Operator White Island Tours which offers day trips to "explore New Zealand's most active volcano" has taken its website down following the emergency.

Passenger Venessa Lugo opted not to go to White Island. Photo / George Novak, File

"It was one of those things you just stand there in shock. What are the chances this happens on your holiday," passenger Venessa Lugo, 24, told the Herald.

Lugo and her partner opted to go on an excursion to Hobbiton yesterday, instead of the White Island tour.

Passengers were informed of the disaster by an announcement from the ship's captain this morning.

"He said there was a tragedy that occurred and that we had missing passengers and crew from the volcano," said Debbie Shapirl, who is cruising with family.

Donna Field a reporter with ABC news who was holidaying on the Ovation tweeted a picture of the ship's upper deck, saying : "Bit surreal onboard this morning."

Locals have been leaving flowers and tributes at the Port of Tauranga, where the Ovation is still berthed.

The Ovation is due to conclude its sailing in Sydney on Monday 16 December.

At full capacity she has just under 5000 passengers and 1500 staff, making her the largest Cruise ship ever to visit New Zealand.

Family members concerned about relatives on board Ovation of the Seas can contact the Royal Caribbean cruise line on these numbers:

Australia – 1300-026-240
New Zealand – 0800-002141
USA – 800 829 4050
Germany 0800-180-0885
UK 0-800-014-8339
Mexico 01-800-681-5336
China 400-120-3534
Japan 0800-170-6282
Singapore 65-31582855

Ovation of the Seas remains in port while victims are counted

From the Guardian 

Police in New Zealand have said they do not expect to find any more survivors from a volcanic eruption on White Island that killed at least five people and injured up to 20.

“No signs of life have been seen at any point,” police said after rescue helicopters and other aircraft had carried out a number of aerial reconnaissance flights over the island following the eruption on Monday afternoon. “Police believe that anyone who could have been taken from the island alive was rescued at the time of the evacuation.”

Up to two dozen people remain unaccounted for, and officers are “urgently” working to confirm the exact number of those who have died, a police statement said.

Unstable conditions, toxic gases and ash fall prevented rescue teams from searching the island – which lies 30 miles from the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, in the Bay of Plenty – on foot.

The country’s most active cone volcano erupted at 2.11pm on Monday, sending up a huge plume of ash that was visible from the North Island.

Police said about 50 people were on the island at the time, more than 20 of whom were Australian tourists. Twenty-three people have been rescued. All of those rescued had sustained injuries, mostly burns, police said, and seven people who were in a critical condition had been flown to hospitals in Tauranga and Auckland.

White Island volcano erupts: what we know so far

 

Read more

The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, who visited the nearby coastal town of Whakatāne on Monday evening, said the situation was “significant and evolving”.

John Tims, the deputy police commissioner of district operations, said at least two dozen people remained on the island, but he could not be sure of the exact number. “The physical environment is unsafe for us to return to the island,” he said.

Ardern said she was liaising closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and police confirmed that those missing on the island were New Zealanders and foreign nationals.

The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, confirmed Australians had been “caught up” in the eruption and offered emergency support.

Cruise ship won't leave port

 

The cruise ship Ovation of the Seas will not be leaving Tauranga for the foreseeable future. 

 

At least 28 of ship's passengers were understood to be on White Island during the eruption. 

 

Ovation was scheduled to depart last night but has remained in port. 

 

Royal Caribean Cruises Ltd, which owns the ship, released a statement at 4:14am this morning saying Ovation will remain in port as long as needed to assist with the situation.

 

The company has sent staff members from their Auckland and Sydney offices to assist family members. 

Cruise ship passengers trapped in NZ volcanic eruption

White Island. a volcano off the Bay of Plenty coast, has erupted, trapping a number of visitors from the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas.

It's a reminder how close New Zealand is to our geological roots.

Unfortunately, adventurous tourists dare to venture where nature might rise to hit them

From the Guardian

• One person has been killed, and that figure is expected to rise, after a volcanic eruption on New Zealand’s Whakaari, also known as White Island.
• Up to 26 people are still unaccounted for and the island is too dangerous for police and rescue crews to access. Police deputy commissioner John Tims said there “are likely to be more” casualties.
• Fewer than 50 people were on the island at the time of the eruption, and 23 have been taken off. Seven were suffering critical injuries.
• Between 30 and 38 of those people were passengers on the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, as confirmed by the chief executive of the New Zealand Cruise Association.
• The nationalities of those on the island are not yet known but Australia’s department of foreign affairs said it was making “urgent enquiries”.
• Royal Caribbean, the owner of Ovation of the Seas, confirmed guests were touring the island and asked for “prayers” for those affected.
• The eruption occurred at about 2:11pm local time, 48km off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, on the north island.
• Prime minister Jacinda Ardern said the situation was “significant and evolving” and that an active search and rescue operation was under way.
• Whakaari/White Island is New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, and is a popular tourist destination and scientific research site. It last experienced a short-lived eruption in 2016.
   

Minke whale washed up in Thames

In a world gone mad -- journalists murdered, Finance director stealing bunnies from Auckland backyards -- this seems stranger than ever.

This washed-up minke is not even the first.  At the rate this bizarreness is going, the surreptitious Japanese whalers will be haunting the waterfront of London.

From The Guardian

An eight-foot whale washed up on the shore of the Thames yesterday, where it was found by a patrol boat under Battersea Bridge.

The minke whale was found on Friday evening at about 10pm by a Port of London Authority boat, but it is not yet known how it got there or why it died.

Why are so many whales getting washed up?

 

Read more

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) are set to undertake a postmortem examination to determine the cause of death.

According to Rob Deaville, who leads an investigation project into the stranding of cetacean creatures at the ZSL, the mammal is the 27th minke whale to be washed up in the UK this year.

It is believed to be the third beaching of a dead whale on the Thames in two months, after a humpback whale and an endangered sei whale washed up separately in October.

Deaville said it was “too early to speculate” on why the whale had died, but that the organisation were not ruling out unnatural causes such as collisions with ships or injuries from fishing equipment, alongside natural causes.

Minke whales, which can weigh up to 10 tonnes, are the most common baleen whale in UK waters. British waters boast one of the most diverse ranges of cetaceans in Europe, with 22 species living around the UK – a quarter of all cetacean species in the world.