R M Ballantyne was a 19th century Scottish juvenile fiction writer. In 1856 Ballantyne gave up a career in business in favor of writing a series of adventure books for youth. His works included The Coral Island (1857), The World of Ice (1859), Ungava: A Tale of Eskimo Land (1857), The Dog Crusoe (1860), The Lighthouse (1865), Deep Down, a Tale of the Cornish Mines (1868), The Pirate City (1874), Erling the Bold (1869), and The Settler and the Savage (1877). Man on the Ocean: The Fugitives: The Tyrant Queen of Madagascar is the story of a group of British travelers who go ashore and are approached by enemies. The ship s boat leaves them stranded on shore. They hope to find a civilization in the capital of the Island of Madagascar, which the size of France. The Queen hates Christians and the travelers are shocked by the extent of her rage. This story is based on fact.