A River in Borneo: A Tale of the East Indies
Lt. Charlie Kirton finds the perfect place to mount a machine gun and command the river snaking through the rainforest of Indonesian Borneo in 1964—the wreck of a nearly 100-year-old brigantine sailing vessel whose name, Tethys, holds special significance for Charlie. It’s the name of the sailing ship whose captain, Hal Kirton, was his great-grandmother’s brother and who disappeared at sea in the 1870s.
A River in Borneo backtracks to Hal, who is unable to continue as second mate on the British steam vessel River Tay after severely breaking his leg in 1867. Otherwise consigned to return home as a Distressed British Seaman because of his permanent disability, Hal instead agrees to captain Tethys and carry trade goods from island to island for Mr. Cha, head of Singapore’s House of the Green Dragon.
On his voyages, Hal rescues and falls in love with a Rungu woman after her family is killed by Bugis pirates, and he runs afoul of Spanish men-of-war hell bent on blockading the port of Jolo in the then-Sultanate of Sulu (now Philippine) archipelago.
Author Woodman spent 37 years at sea as a midshipman and captain before retiring in 1997. He has written both nonfiction and fiction. His maritime novels include the Nathaniel Drinkwater series beginning in 1770, the William Kite slave ship trilogy, the Kit Faulkner series set during the English Civil War, and merchant seaman James Dunbar’s voyages just prior to WWI.
As expected from such an experienced writer, the maritime details are plentiful and authentic. Yet the narrative moves beyond sea-going life, wind and steam vessels, shipping and business, and naval power. The storyline builds on themes of duty, friendship, love, loyalty, and legacy. Resonant in time and place, A River in Borneo is first rate.
