Four men swim for their lives from the senseless wreck of the American sealing ship Dove: Thomas, a headstrong young sailor, Harrison, the affable, inventive ship's carpenter, Mr. Morgen, the Dove's pedestrian first mate, and the aging Captain Tobit--a short-sighted bungler. Battered, empty-handed, and stripped naked, they wash up on an isolated and uncharted yet bountiful volcanic island rich with all they need to survive and thrive. But almost imediately, the two crewmen realize that, for their fanatical captain, hierarchy outstrips human need.