Many men were lost at sea during the sailing vessel era. Most lives were claimed by the ocean, but some may have survived by their wits, like Daniel Ross in Arthur Roth's story The Castaway. Daniel had a few skills and a great will to survive when he landed on a barren rock in the South Pacific. During his years on the island, he managed to provide himself with fresh water, shelter, and food, and he even made a friend or two.