Captain Salt in Oz

1936, 1990 International Wizard of Oz edition
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Illustrated by John R. Neill
Captain Salt in Oz
Original and/or purchase price unknown
Worn paperback
B-

Set four years after Pirates in Oz, which came out in 1931, this marks the return of a bunch of characters whose earlier adventures I've never read.  Not only that, but nobody, not even Captain Salt is actually "in Oz," since it's all set in the Nonestic Ocean.  There are references to Oz and Ozma though, and Capt. Salt is on a colonization mission because Oz is overpopulated.  Since when?  Even in the Thompson books, there are still stretches of undeveloped land, or places where lonely travelers must travel for hours before finding a farmhouse.  After all, the population of the Emerald City isn't much larger than it was in the sixth book.  Yes, nobody dies (often) or ages (much), but it's not like there's been a baby boom.  In any case, apparently it's OK with Thompson for Ozma (or with Ozma for Thompson) to encourage conquest.

True, the colonization is done in a mostly peaceful manner, mainly consisting of planting Oz flags and telling the "conquered" that they are now under the beneficent rule of Queen Ozma.  (Side-note, in some books she's a princess, in others she's a queen; Baum wasn't very consistent about this either.)  Some of the islands are unpopulated, so that makes it even easier.

Meanwhile, there's a whole other continent, Tarara, with two major countries and various tribes.  A young king has been kidnapped by the bad guys, and then he's kidnapped by the title character.  OK, he's pressured into becoming a cabin boy, but still. 

And it's a no-women-allowed voyage, although female creatures like a motherly hippo are OK.  Inevitably, this leads to slashy subtext between Salt and Ato, a king turned cook:  "'What a tremendous fellow he was,' sighed Ato, sinking dreamily back in his hammock and half closing his eyes.  'I'll never forget how high and handsome he looked...'" (p. 23).  Salt returns soon after, to take Ato on another voyage, promising, "Only over my prone and prostrate body shall another man enter my galley to shuffle my rations, sugar my duff or salt my prog!"  That's devotion!


Thompson does a fine job creating the various lands that the crew visit, and Neill's illustrations are his best in ages.  Perhaps exploring new territory is as liberating for them as for the captain and the cook.