āThe Cannibal Islandsā is a historical novel by prolific author R.M. Ballantyne. In it, he gives some background to the world-wide explorations of the famous Captain Cook. Ballantyne uses detailed descriptions of the customs and habits of those who Captain Cook encountered to flesh out the adventures of the famous explorer. Ballantyne is particularly fascinated by the habit of cannibalism practised by some of the people that Cook encountered. Very much of itās time, this is nevertheless a fascinating and insightful read.
R.M. Ballantyne (1825-1894) was a Scottish artist and prolific author of mostly childrenās fiction. Born in Edinburgh, Ballantyne was the ninth of ten children. At the age of 16 Ballantyne moved to Canada, where he worked for the Hudsonās Bay Company, travelling all over the country to trade for fur. He returned to Scotland in 1847 following the death of his father, and it was then that he began his literary career in earnest, writing over 100 childrenās adventure books over the course of his life. Stories such as āThe Coral Islandā and āThe Young Fur Tradersā were hugely popular, and many of them drew on his own experiences of travelling throughout Canada. A stickler for detail, Ballantyne continued to travel widely to research the backgrounds and settings for his exciting stories. His tales became an inspiration for authors of the future, including āTreasure Islandā novelist Robert Louis Stevenson. Ballantyne spent the latter period of his life living in London and Italy for the sake of his health. He died in Rome in 1894 at the age of 68.