"Samuel Comstock was born with a sense of destiny that is sometimes granted to great artists or leaders of men; in his case, it was the mark of Cain. Though he had vowed from childhood that he would do some great thing, his only legacy was a reign of terror.".

"He came from a family that had grown rich trading in whaling products, so it was no surprise that young Samuel Comstock - as wild and headstrong a youth as had ever been seen on the wharves of Nantucket or New York - signed on to the whale ship Globe in 1822. What would have been surprising, had anyone known, were the contents of his sea chest: a diverse collection of seeds, tools, medical supplies, and weapons.

Later - too late - his brother William remembered that Samuel used to talk about establishlng his own island kingdom in the South Seas. Of course no one had taken him seriously."--BOOK JACKET.