Joel Shore, newly appointed captain of the whaling ship Nathan Ross following his brother’s apparent demise as captain of the same ship, elects to make his first cruise as captain to the very location where his brother had last been seen – the Gilbert Islands, in order to try to learn more about what happened to his brother. The focus of this tale is of that voyage halfway around the globe and the adventures which he and his crew encounter.

This riveting novel takes place on a whaling ship, where its captain, Black Pawl, has a troubled relationship with the first mate, his son. A minister is permitted aboard for the homeward-bound journey along with a young woman who is accompanying him. Before long, unforeseen complications and electrifying events ensue. Williams, an American author, wrote hundreds of short stories, many appearing in popular magazines, and over 30 novels, several of which were made into motion pictures.