John Solomon—Supercargo

"John Solomon—Supercargo" by H. Bedford-Jones is an early 20th-century adventure where an unusual supercargo named John Solomon gets caught up in a dangerous mystery during a sea voyage to East Africa. The story follows the relationships between characters like the upper-class Frederick L. C. Harcourt and the tough American Cyrus Hammer, as they face both the difficulties of their trip and their own problems. The book begins at a cattle-wharf where Viscount Ratcliff meets Hammer, who will become important to their adventures. Harcourt, an aristocrat, wants Hammer to join the crew of his yacht, the "Daphne", while also strangely dealing with John Solomon, who interrupts their dinner to ask for a job. The story uses humor to show how class and personality mix, hinting at how the relationships between the three main characters will change as they travel to East Africa for an archaeological trip that promises both thrill and danger.