Summary

In “Voyage Eleven: 1886,” Michener describes the way a hurricane in 1886 disturbed the balance of the Chesapeake, temporarily destroying the crab and oyster business.

In “The Waterman,” the narrator describes the feud between Jake Turlock, who believed his Chesapeake retriever was the best dog, and Tim Caveny who decided to give the Labrador retriever a chance. At a dove shoot, the Labrador proved his worth when he retrieved not only Tim’s dove, but also one Jake’s dog had been unable to find.

The men said the Labrador showed promise, but they would not know until he was tested on the water with geese. At first, the Labrador was not impressive with geese because he did not like going into cold water. However, he proved himself when he was able to find a downed goose that Jake’s dog could...