As he describes the swashbuckling confidence with which J. and his friends begin their journey, Jerome makes allusions to three major historical seafaring figures: Captain Cook, Sir Francis Drake, and Christopher Columbus:
You start on Monday with the idea implanted in your bosom that you are going to enjoy yourself. You wave an airy adieu to the boys on shore, light your biggest pipe, and swagger about the deck as if you were Captain Cook, Sir Francis Drake, and Christopher Columbus all rolled into one. On Tuesday, you wish you hadn’t come.
All of the figures that J. compares himself to here are famously daring explorers and colonizers. Firstly, the allusion to Captain Cook—an 18th-century British explorer known for his Pacific voyages and for mapping Newfoundland and Australia— makes the reader feel the bravado of the “swagger about the deck” that J. pictures. Sir Francis Drake, a 16th-century English sea captain, privateer, and navigator, is famous for circumnavigating the globe and for defeating the Spanish Armada. Christopher Columbus is credited with the “discovery” of the Americas by Europeans. By comparing himself to these renowned figures, J. jokes about his overblown sense of self-importance and adventure as the men set off on their little journey along the Thames. The humor in this allusion lies in the contrast between the “adventures” these historical figures undertook, and the “adventure” J. takes—which he also says quickly loses its luster. He's also suggesting that the trip might seem like a good idea at first, but quickly turns into a chore; on Monday he might feel like "Captain Cook," but on Tuesday he might need to go home.
J. often provides exposition for the reader by “thinking” about historically important events when the group passes their sites. On one such occasion, Jerome alludes to the signing of the Magna Carta by King John I, as the boat's journey passes Runnymede:
Slowly the heavy, bright-decked barges leave the shore of Runnymede. Slowly against the swift current they work their ponderous way, till, with a low grumble, they grate against the bank of the little island that from this day will bear the name of Magna Carta Island. And King John has stepped upon the shore, and we wait in breathless silence till a great shout cleaves the air [...]
The signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 at Runnymede was a turning point in British history. When King John signed this important treaty, he was under threat of civil war. The document codified that the monarch of England was also subject to its rule of law. It also stated that the people of England had certain rights and privileges. It was a foundational moment in the establishment of legal and political liberties in the Western hemisphere. J.’s description, which he gives in folkloric-sounding language, makes the reader feel a sense of reverence for the event. His language evokes a sense of reverence and awe, as the boat's passage through this area brings 11th-century history close enough to touch. The imagery of the barges moving slowly against the current and the eventual landing on Magna Carta Island also adds a sense of solemnity to the scene. It’s almost as if J. feels that he is on one of these barges himself, drifting down the river to change history.
