A BOY'S VOYAGE
ROUND THE WORLD
EDITED
BY SAMUEL SMILES, LL.D.
AUTHOR OF 'SELF-HELP,' ETC.
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET
1905
OUTWARD BOUND. See p. 27.
PREFACE.
I have had pleasure in editing this little book, notonly because it is the work of my youngest son, butalso because it contains the results of a good deal ofexperience of life under novel aspects, as seen byyoung, fresh, and observant eyes.
How the book came to be written is as follows:The boy, whose two years' narrative forms the subjectof these pages, was at the age of sixteen seized withinflammation of the lungs, from which he was recoveringso slowly and unsatisfactorily, that I was advisedby London physicians to take him from the businesshe was then learning in Yorkshire, and send him ona long sea voyage. Australia was recommended,because of the considerable time occupied in makingthe voyage by sailing ship, and also because of thecomparatively genial and uniform temperature whileat sea.
He was accordingly sent out to Melbourne by oneof Money Wigram's ships in the winter of 1868-9,with directions either to return by the same ship or,if the opportunity presented itself, to remain for atime in the colony. It will be found, from his ownnarrative that, having obtained some suitable employment,he decided to adopt the latter course; and for aperiod of about eighteen months he resided at Majorca,an up-country township situated in the gold-miningdistrict of Victoria.
When his health had become re-established, he wasdirected to return home, about the beginning of thepresent year; and he resolved to make the returnvoyage by the Pacific route, viâ Honolulu and SanFrancisco, and to proceed from thence by railwayacross the Rocky Mountains to New York.
While at sea, the boy kept a full log, intended forthe perusal of his relatives at home; and while onland, he corresponded with them regularly and fully,never missing a mail. He had not the remotest ideathat anything which he saw and described during hisabsence would ever appear in a book. But since hisreturn, it has occurred to the Editor of these pagesthat the information they contain will probably befound interesting to a wider circle of readers thanthat to which the letters were originally addressed;and in that belief, the substance of them is here reproduced,the Editor's work having consisted mainly inarranging the materials, leaving the writer to tell hisown story as much as possible in his own way, and inhis own words.
London, November, 1871.
CONTENTS.
- PAGE
- CHAPTER I.
- DOWN CHANNEL.1
At Gravesend—Taking in Stores—First Night on Board—"TheAnchor's Up"—Off Brighton—Change of Wind—Galein the Channel—The Abandoned Ship—...