The Big Otter

First published in 1887, ‘The Big Otter’ by prolific author R.M. Ballantyne is one of many of his stories which draws on his own experiences of living and working in remote parts of Canada as a young man while working for the Hudson’s Bay Company. In an inhospitable part of Canada, a group of British hunters and explorers are living and working together. When two of their number, George Maxby and Jack Lumley, are instructed to set out on their own to establish a new trading post they are helped in their endeavour by a Native American named Big Otter. The trio will encounter plenty of danger and adventure along the way, as well as plenty of wonder as they explore this harsh but beautiful part of the world.

R.M. Ballantyne (1825-1894) was a Scottish artist and prolific author of mostly children’s 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 Hudson’s 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 children’s adventure books over the course of his life. Stories such as ‘The Coral Island’ and ‘The Young Fur Traders’ 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 ‘Treasure Island’ 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.