The Scottish author of children’s books Robert Michael (R M) Ballantyne (1825-1894) wrote over 100 works, the best known today probably being `Coral Island’ (1858). Born in Edinburgh, his father was the owner of a printing business, one which had produced works by Sir Walter Scott. From the age of 16 to 21 Ballantyne lived in Canada, working for the Hudson Bay Company. A professional writer from 1847, he was based initially in London, and then, in his final years, in Rome, where he is buried.
Ballantyne was known to devote a lot of time to researching the detail of his works. In order to write one on mines he spent time in tin mines in Cornwall. Another saw him live and work at a lighthouse for a while. For his two stories, `The Lifeboat’ (1864) and `The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands’ (1870) he stayed at Ramsgate. The latter in particular is rich in detail about the town and the sea around it:
`Ere long the lights of the shipping in the Downs were hung out, and one by one the lamps on shore shone forth—those which marked the entrance of Ramsgate harbour being conspicuous for colour and brilliancy—until the water, which was so calm as to reflect them all, seemed alive with perpendicular streams of liquid fire; land and sea appearing to be the subjects of one grand illumination. A much less poetical soul than that of the enthusiastic lamp-lighter might have felt a touch of unwonted inspiration on such a night, and in such a scene. The effect on the mind was irresistibly tranquillising. While contemplating the multitudes of vessels that lay idle and almost motionless on the glassy water, the thought naturally arose that each black hull en-shrouded human beings who were gradually sinking into rest—relaxing after the energies of the past day—while the sable cloak of night descended, slowly and soothingly, as if God were spreading His hand gently over all to allay the fever of man’s busy day-life and calm him into needful rest.’ (www.ramsgatelifeboat.org.uk/e-books/the-floating-light-of-the-goodwin-sands/the-floating-light-of-the-goodwin-sands-text.htm)