Gurnard’s Tidbits

Top o’ the Mornin’ to ye, Adventurous Readers!

Gurnard here!

Aye, I’m a seagull, a special one indeed. Me feathers be as white as clouds, me beak as bright as the sun with a tip of blue. We seagulls, we carry the tales of lost sailors, their stories woven within our wings.

To grasp the tale of Marta Ray and the Undersea Kingdom, delvin’ into some tidbits about the characters, the places, and the curious things can set ye off on a grand adventure. Be sure to keep an eye out, for more of these tidbits will be flying in! Come back often, and let the stories unfold before ye!

About Those Characters Places & Curious Things

Augustus Skinner

[əˈɡəst əs] [ˈskinər]

Commodore Skinner, Proprietor of Skinner’s Whale and Fishery

Commodore Skinner, as he preferred to be called was the proud owner of Skinner’s Whale and Fishery at number one Wharf Street in 1841, and thought himself the most prominent sea merchant on the eastern seaboard. Despite his believed stature, he was an incredibly plump and dumpy man, meticulously conscious of the small patch of curly brown hair atop an otherwise remarkably bald head. His simple-mindedness led him to snub fanciful tales, especially those of mythical undersea kingdoms.

Background

Birth: August 13, 1799

Origin: Born into poverty within New Bedford, Massachusetts, a bustling whaling port primarily supported by Portuguese and Cape Verdean immigrants. The industry fixated on the insatiable hunt for whale oil, driven by shipowners’ relentless pursuit of profit.

🌊 Gurnard’s Tidbit | Ah, Skinner, ’tis the ‘profit, profit, profit’ from his upbringing that shaped the lad so! A ‘Big Fish,’ you say? Not according to the other sea merchants. But hush now, keep this between us, won’t you?