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 THE NONPARIEL CABINET OP ANECDOTE 
 and WIT, board*, 2s. 3 
 
SAILOR BROTHER. 
 
 Embellished with numerous coloured Engravings. 
 
 -«•) 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 DEAN AND MUNDAY, THREADNEEDLE-STREET ; AND 
 A. K. NEWMAN & Co. LEADENHALL-STREET. 
 
 Price Six-pence, 
 
 ■m 
 
 m 
 
SIX-PENCE EACH, 
 
 Each embellished with numerous coloured engravings, and neatly 
 done up in fancy covers. 
 
 Blossoms of Learning ; a new alphabet, in large type. 
 Child's New Book of Easy Tales; in large type. 
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 letter ; printed in bold type. 
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 Juvenile Pastimes; or, Sports for the Four Seasons. 
 Juvenile Riddle Book ; a new and amusing collection. 
 Orphan Rachel ; or, the Fruits of Perseverance. 
 Pretty Stories and Pretty Pictures, for all good children. 
 Sailor Brother : an interesting narrative. 
 Sweets for Leisure Hours ; or, pleasing poetical pieces. 
 Unlucky John and his Lump of Silver. 
 
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 Baby Tales ; in easy verse j by Mrs. Baker. 
 
 Child's Scrap Book ; easy stories. 
 
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 Pleasing Tales for Infant Minds. 
 
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 Tales of Childhood ; stories in easy poetry. 
 
 Visit to the Farm ; or, rural scenes described. 
 
THE 
 
 SAILOR BROTHER; 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 THOMAS SAVILLE. 
 
 AN INTERESTING TALE. 
 
 EMBELLISHED WITH EIGHT NKAT COLOURED ENGKAVINGS. 
 
 By S. STRICKLAND. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 DEAN AND MUNDAY. T HREADNEEDLE-STREET. 
 
THE SAILOR BROTHER 
 
 ^'Mamma^ how many kisses will you 
 give me^ for wliat I have brought 
 you?" said Harry Saville, holding one 
 hand behind him, as he ran into the 
 parlour, where his mamma and sister 
 Charlotte were sitting at work. 
 
 " I will give you one kiss/' said his 
 mamma, and I dare say it is not 
 worth half of one." 
 
 It is worth more than a thousand, 
 look here, and judge for yourself," 
 and he flung into her lap a large dou- 
 ble letter as he spoke. 
 
 ^"^It is from our dear sailor bro- 
 ther!" exclaimed Charlotte, examining 
 
4 
 
 the direction of the letter: Oh, yes, it 
 is his own hand -writing, and now we 
 know he is safe;" (for Tom had been 
 absent more than three years, and his 
 family had heard nothing of him for 
 many months. 
 
 "Do make haste and open the let- 
 ter, dear mamma," cried the impa- 
 tient sister; but mamma's hand trem- 
 bled, and her eyes were fnll of tears, 
 she could not read a line, but put the 
 letter into Charlotte's hand, and bade 
 her read aloud. 
 
 I cannot tell you all the letter con- 
 tained, for it was a very long one, 
 written on two large sheets of paper, 
 but in one part it said: " I have suffered 
 shipwreck, and nearly escaped from 
 drowning; I have a long story to tell 
 you, but I shall defer it till a happier 
 day, wdiich I trust is not far distant, 
 when I hope to visit once more the 
 home so dear to me." 
 
5 
 
 In the postscript, he said: " Give my 
 love and a kiss, to all my dear sisters, 
 and brother Hal; and tell him I have 
 not forgotten him, and have brought 
 home a companion for him as mis- 
 chievous a« himself." When Charlotte 
 
 , read this part of the letter, she said; 
 " I suppose it is the monkey that Tom 
 promised to bring home last voyage." 
 On hearing this, Harry gave a shout 
 of joy, and bounding on to the lawn, 
 
 j flung his cap into the air, crying; 
 "Oh, a monkey! a monkey! brother 
 
 ^ Tom is coming home and has brought 
 a mon' ey for me!" 
 
 "A monkey for you; exclaimed 
 Jane, who w as at play in the garden ; 
 "what son of a thing is a monkey?" 
 for Jane never chanced to have seen a 
 monkey. While Harry vvas giving 
 little Jane a long description of two 
 monkeys he had once seen; and re- 
 counting all the stories he had ever 
 
 2 
 
6 
 
 heard or read of their tricks^ his mo- 
 ther was seeking her husband to im- 
 part to him the joyful news. 
 
 Mr. Saville was walking in the 
 fields when the letter arrived^ and 
 Mrs. Saville found him sitting under 
 a tree^ fatigued by his long ramble. 
 This affectionate father experienced no 
 less pleasure than his wife and chil- 
 dren had felt^ on being assured of the 
 safe return of his beloved son. 
 
 After a week of tedious expectation, 
 another letter arrived, in which the 
 young sailor named the day for his re- 
 tarn home. On the morning of that 
 happy day, the family were all stirring 
 at an earlier hour than usual, and 
 many preparations w^ere made for the 
 reception of the welcome visitor. 
 
 Charlotte dressed her little sisters 
 Jane and Mary, with unusual care and 
 neatness, brushing their flaxen curls 
 over her fingers, that they might ap- 
 
pear to the best advantage before their 
 sailor brother; while Harry, merry 
 little Harry, having escaped from the 
 careful hands of the nurse maid, was 
 on the watch to be the first to shake 
 hands with brother Tom, and receive 
 the expected monkey, which he ima- 
 gined would make its appearance run- 
 ning by his brother's side, or perched 
 on his shoulder. 
 
 At length a chaise rapidly ap- 
 proached the house, and Harry with 
 a transport of joy, proclaimed, Bro- 
 ther Tom, monkey and all!" 
 
 It was indeed the long-absent, and 
 long-looked-for, sailor brother; but 
 three years had altered the gay laugh- 
 ing rosy youth of sixteen, to the 
 fine sensible-looking young man, and 
 though the scorching climate he had 
 been under, had changed the fair 
 white and red of his complexion, to 
 one of the darkest brown, he bore the 
 
8 
 
 same open and amiable expression of 
 face as formerly. 
 
 The meeting between the young 
 sailor and his friends, was one of 
 smiles and tears; I leave it to my 
 young readers who have ever felt the 
 joy of having been folded to the breast 
 of an affectionate, and long absent 
 brother, to imagine the feehngs of 
 Saville's sisters on this occasion, it is 
 not in my power to describe them as 
 I could wish to do. 
 
 As to little Harry, he certainly was 
 surprised, if not disappointed, when 
 on the arrival of his brother, not the 
 expected monkey, but a little boy 
 about six years of age with dimpled 
 cheeks, and lively black eyes, was lifted j 
 carefully from the chaise, and pre- 
 sented to him as the promised play- 
 mate mentioned in the letter: "I 
 thought," said Harry, in a tone of 
 some regret; ''that it was a monkey 
 
9 
 
 you were bringing home for me." His 
 brother laughed heartily at Harry's 
 mistake, and said; " you will find my 
 little godson, monkey enough, if he 
 only plays half the tricks on shore, 
 that he used to amuse me with on 
 board the Uueen Charlotte; I am sure, 
 my dear brother; he added, ''that 
 you will treat this little stranger with 
 kindness, and show him every mark of 
 attention, when I inform you, that he 
 has neither father nor mother living, 
 nor indeed, any friend in the world 
 besides myself. I have a long story to 
 tell you all bye and bye respecting 
 him. This information alone was suf- 
 ficient to insure the friendship of 
 Harry Saville for the little orphan, and 
 he assured his brother, he would do 
 every thing in his power to render the 
 little Edward happy. 
 
 If three years had made an altera- 
 tion in the appearance of the young 
 
 3 
 
10 
 
 sailor, it had wrought no less change 
 in the persons of those he had left be- 
 hind him. 
 
 "Why Charlotte;' said he, survey- 
 ing his eldest sister with some pride of 
 heart: "You were but a child as I may 
 say, when I left you; and now you are 
 grown quite a woman, and are nearly 
 as tall as my mother; and here Harry, 
 a fine fellow, bids fair to rival me in 
 height;" and he shook the hand of the 
 delighted Harry as he spoke—who 
 raised himself on tiptoe to make him- 
 self appear taller, and verify his bro- 
 ther's prediction. 
 
 This good brother had brought home 
 a trifling present for each member of 
 his family. There were two large wax 
 dolls for Jane and Mary, and plenty 
 of sweetmeats; there was a fine India 
 shawl for his mother, and a silk hand- 
 kerchief for Charlotte; he had brought 
 for his father a beautiful Indian pipe; 
 
11 
 
 " and though," said he, " I conld not 
 brins: it down in the chaise with me, 
 there is a monkey for yon, brother 
 Harry, which I bought of a sailor on 
 board ship, and it will be here very 
 shortly." 
 
 It would take a long time to tell you 
 all the stories that Saville related to 
 his family, and the accounts he gave 
 them of the different countries he had 
 visited, during the three years he had 
 been absent from his home. I shall 
 confine myself to a few particulars 
 concerning the manner in which he 
 became acquainted with the little or- 
 phan, and what happened to him 
 when the ship was wrecked, which I 
 shall endeavour to give you in his 
 own words, as near as lays in my 
 power. 
 
12 
 
 The Sailor Brother s Narrative. 
 
 Among many other passengers that 
 we took in at Ceylon, there was one 
 family to which I attached myself more 
 particularly than to any other on 
 board, it consisted of Colonel Fletcher, 
 his wife, her sister, and his only child, 
 a littJe boy between four and five years 
 old, the very same that now stands at 
 my knee. I always loved children, as 
 you well know; and the lively and af- 
 fectionate manners of little Edward 
 Fletcher did not fail in attracting my 
 attention to him; the little fellow soon 
 became attached to me, and at last was 
 ray constant companion, so that I was 
 more frequently his nurse and in- 
 structor, than either his father, mo- 
 ther, or aunt. 
 
 The child's regard for me soon 
 produced a greater degree of intimacy 
 between his parents and myself, and 
 
13 
 
 I became a constant visitor in the ca- 
 bin they occupied, wlienever ray duty 
 permitted me to be so. 
 
 The friendship of Colonel Fletcher 
 proved a source of great advantage 
 and pleasure to me ; he had seen much 
 of the v^orld, and was a man of great 
 sense and observation; he had passed 
 almost all his life in India, having left 
 England as a cadet when very young. 
 The ill health of his wife, and the 
 education of his son, were the chief 
 motives for his return to his native 
 country; though at the same time, he 
 informed me, that he had no near re- 
 lations living, and very few friends, 
 having quitted his home when but 
 sixteen years of age. During his resi- 
 dence in India he had acquired a con- 
 siderable property, part of which he 
 had transmitted to a banker in Lon- 
 don ; and the rest, chiefly in gold and 
 jewels, was on board our vessel. 
 
 4 
 
14 
 
 It happened that little Edward 
 Fletcher had never been baptized, and 
 the Colonel wishing that ceremony to 
 be performed by the Chaplain of our 
 ship, and both he and Mrs. Fletcher 
 requested me to stand godfather for 
 their little son; I accepted the office 
 with much pleasure, for I loved the 
 child dearly; but I little thought at 
 the time, how soon I should be called 
 on to fulfil my duty, and supply the 
 place of both parent and guardian to 
 my little godson. 
 
 It was about the middle of April, 
 when the weather which for some time 
 had been serene and beautiful, became 
 hazy and overcast; the air was in- 
 tensely hot, and there was so little 
 wind, that we were almost becalmed: 
 Our captain was of opinicm that this 
 calm would be followed by a violent 
 storm; and his conjectures were but 
 too soon verified. 
 
15 
 
 Towards the afternoon the sky wore 
 a lurid and dense appearance, and 
 sudden squalls of wind, succeeded by 
 heavy swells of the sea, gave melan- 
 choly warnings of the storm that 
 followed. 
 
 As the sun sank, the w^ind arose lo 
 a fearful height, and night and dark- 
 ness came on dressed in horrors, which 
 till that hour I had formed no idea of; 
 the intense darkness was for some 
 time broken only by faint flashes of 
 light, at the verge of the horizon, ac- 
 companied by low and very distant 
 peals of thunder, which by degrees 
 became louder and more frequent; 
 and before midnight, the tempest ap- 
 proached in all its terrors. 
 
 The mingled roaring of the winds 
 and waves, together with the awful 
 peals of thunder that burst over our 
 heads; the sheets of vivid lightning 
 that streamed from the clouds, and 
 
16 
 
 gleamed over the foaming billows that 
 surrounded us; were sufficient to 
 appal the stoutest heart among us. 
 
 Our Captain had foreseen during the 
 whole of the day^ that the storm 
 would prove a severe one, and he had 
 taken every precaution necessary for 
 the safety of the vessel, and had 
 caused the boats to be got in readi- 
 ness^ and several rafts to be made for 
 the preservation of the crew and pas- 
 sengers, in case of wreck. 
 
 Every moment I could snatch from 
 duty I passed with my friends, endea- 
 vouring to instil in their minds a 
 hope v^^hich I was far from feeling 
 myself: but nothing could quiet the 
 apprehensions, or soothe the mind of 
 Mrs. Fletcher, who was, as I before 
 told you, in very weak health. 
 
 As the wind and tempest increased, 
 she became more violently agitated 
 and at last she fell into an agony of 
 
grief and terror, whicli almost un- 
 nerved us all. My little favourite, 
 happily unconscious of the scene of 
 distress and danger that surrounded 
 him, had fallen asleep: and I could 
 distinguish at * intervals, when his 
 mother's sobs were hushed, his soft 
 low breathing. 
 
 While I was regarding his quiet 
 slumber with feelings almost amount- 
 ing to envy, the Captain called me 
 upon deck to him.— " Saville," said 
 he, laying his hand impressively on my 
 shoulder as he spoke : " I feel assured 
 the vessel can never last out this 
 night; the water gains so fast upon us 
 in the hold, that all our efforts seem 
 fruitless to repel them: the storm is 
 not yet at its height, and our helm 
 has become useless. We must, how 
 ever, put our trust in that God who is 
 the ruler if the winds and waves, for 
 
18 
 
 he only eau save us from destruction 
 this night." 
 
 At this period the waves were run- 
 ning mountains high, the vessel la- 
 bouring, so that it was impossible to 
 keep her course: the Captain bade me 
 sammon the passengers, and such of 
 the crew that could be spared from 
 the pumps, to attend in the great 
 cabin, and implore the assisting of the 
 Almighty, to succour and relieve us 
 in this oar great necessity. 
 
 While I was performing this melan- 
 choly duty, 1 thought of my home; 
 on you, my dear parents, my dear 
 sisters, and brother, and I prayed to 
 God to bless and console you all for 
 my loss; and I felt my full heart re- 
 lieved by the tears which these 
 thoughts caused me to shed. 
 
 While we were still engaged in so- 
 lemn prayer, a sudden and unusual 
 motion was felt throughout the vessel; 
 
19 
 
 and in another second, a violent shock 
 which thrilled through every frame, 
 told us but too plainly, the ship had 
 struck upon a reef of sunken rocks. 
 
 It is hardly possible to give you an 
 idea of the scene of confusion and up- 
 roar that followed: the screams of the 
 women and children, — the groans and 
 distraction of the men, so merunning 
 one way, some the other, — none know- 
 ing what to do or where to go, but all 
 desirous of escaping from the wreck: 
 it was an awful sight, and one that 
 can never be effaced from my memory. 
 
 The deck was soon crowded, the 
 boats were lowered, and every neces- 
 sary prepared in case of the worst. 
 
 The raging waves and the storm a- 
 bove, struck dismay and terror in the 
 mind of many who had at first been 
 most anxious to quit the wreck, and 
 some returned to the cabin, in despair 
 of ever escaping from it. Among 
 
20 
 
 tliese was Colonel Fletcher : " Saville," 
 said lie, I am resolved not to quit the 
 ship ; I have made up my mind to stay 
 and meet my fate with resigimtion : I 
 cannot leave my wdfe and child, and I 
 fear there is small chance of escape 
 from the boats, they are already over- 
 loaded; but you are young, and may 
 P yet find a w^ay of saving yourself. — 
 
 S God bless you, my dear boy, we shall 
 
 B meet no more in this world; but his 
 
 ^ will be done!" Saying this, he wrung 
 
 Smy hand, and with a look which pierced 
 ^ I my very soul, again bade me farewell, 
 I and I saw^ him no more. 
 
 1 The repeated shocks which ran 
 
 f through the ship, as she struck again 
 
 I and again on the rocks, and the rush- 
 
 I ing sound of the w^ater rising in the 
 
 i hold, added to a love of life, which 
 
 I clung to me, made me determine to 
 
 E embrace the only means that offered 
 
 \ of escaping; which was to venture 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
21 
 
 myself on one of the rafts. — A divine 
 I power seemed to strengthen and con- 
 firm me in my hazardous design; and, 
 I prepared every thing for my voyage. 
 I was on the point of iamiching my 
 raft, when the scream and well-known 
 voice of my little favourite arrested 
 my attention, and I hastened to the 
 cabin, resolving to make an eifort 
 to save him: lifting him from his 
 berth where his aunt had laid him, I 
 folded him in my arms, and bidding 
 him be quiet and not cry, I hastened 
 with him to quit the sinking vessel: — 
 But in that awful moment, before I 
 committed my frail bark to the raging 
 waters, I commended my soul to the 
 mercy of God. 
 
 By the lightning, w^hich still gleam- 
 ed over the waves, I could discern the 
 boats struggling among the breakers; 
 and have reason to fear that everv 
 
 hBiiiiiiiiii III 1 1 III I III I 11 I II III (I I I I II 
 
22 
 
 soul ill them perished during that me- 
 lancholy storm. 
 
 My little godson clung weeping and 
 terrified to my knee^, and it was with 
 some difficulty that I quieted his cries 
 and soothed his fears; bidding him 
 keep fast hold of me, while I exerted 
 all my strength to keep my raft afloat, 
 and steer it among the breakers. 
 Fortunately for me, the storm was 
 • past its worst, and though the thunder 
 still burst in peals around me, yet the 
 wind w^as much abated ; and the rain 
 which had poured down in torrents 
 before, was now falling with less vio- 
 lence. 
 
 As the day dawned, I beheld to my 
 unspeakable joy, land not far distant, 
 though the approach to it seemed dif- 
 ficult, on account of the rocks with 
 which it was surrounded. With much 
 toil and difficulty I moored my raft 
 into a little creek between two rocky 
 
 ■■TTM-'M'Tif n^iii'ttiir^fiMiiMnfuiiaifanfti-iriiMriiinM 
 
23 
 
 banks; and lifted my weary, but pa- 
 tient companion from it^ and placed 
 him in safety on the shore. 
 
 My first impulse on landing, was to 
 throw myself on my knees, and pour 
 forth my grateful thanks to the Al- 
 mighty, who had preserved my life 
 and that of my little godson; I next 
 turned my eyes in the direction that I 
 imagined the wreck to be: but they 
 only wandered over a wide expanse of 
 water, still agitated and white with 
 breakers; and I concluded the vessel 
 had sunk during the night; and had 
 every reason to fear the boats had 
 shared the same fate. 
 
 While I was yet lost in a train of 
 melancholy reflections, my godson 
 roused me to a sense of my own con- 
 dition, and his yet more helpless one. 
 It was a painful task to explain to him 
 the loss he had sustained, and the 
 cause of our present situation; his 
 
24 
 
 innocent questions respecting his pa- 
 rents and the wreck of the ship^ made 
 me feel very sad, and I often joined 
 my tears with his ; but fortunately he 
 was not of an age to indulge in cease- 
 less sorrow, and his natural vivacity 
 soon returned to him again. 
 
 The island on which I had landed, 
 presented a rocky and barren appear- 
 ance to the eye, with scarcely any 
 signs of vegetation; and I began to 
 fear that we had only saved ourselves 
 from drowning, to perish with hunger 
 and thirst, for I was aware the slender 
 provision I had been able to make 
 before quitting the ship, could not 
 last many days, and I had no fresh 
 water at all, and was already tor- 
 mented by a burning thirst; from this 
 I was soon relieved, for a few steps 
 further I beheld a stream of clear 
 watei fzushinii: from a natural sort of 
 
25 
 
 basin, at the foot of a rocky pro- 
 montory. 
 
 I was very grateful for the refresh- 
 ment this stream afforded me, and 
 sitting down under the projecting 
 rocks, gave my little favourite some 
 biscuit with which I had stored my 
 pockets, and eat a small portion my- 
 self; this scanty meal greatly recruited 
 
 I our exhausted frames; and having 
 rested ourselves for some time, we 
 left our retreat, and w-alked forth to 
 explore the island: and observe what 
 it produced likely ta procure us a 
 subsistence. 
 
 The sun rising with great splendour 
 dispelled the dark clouds, and gave 
 promise of a beautiful day, which 
 somewhat cheered our drooping spirits. 
 
 We wandered for some time over a 
 barren plain which bore no other 
 marks of vegetation, than a few ma- 
 
 ' rine plants, which bound together the 
 
26 
 
 light soil. I found abundance of tur- 
 tles' eggs, with which I filled my 
 pockets ; but the heat arising from the 
 sand w^as very great, and my heart 
 sunk within me, when I reflected on 
 what we should endui;e without a sin- 
 gle tree to shelter us from the burning 
 heat of the sun; for as yet I had not 
 see one upon the island, 
 
 A naked chain of barren rocks seem- 
 ed to form a complete wall round this 
 desolate plain; and as I then thought, 
 served to defend it from the weaves of 
 the sea; but as they were far above 
 the level, I thought some advantage 
 might be gained from ascending one. 
 With much labour and difficulty I at 
 length reached the summit, attended 
 by my little companion ; and my fatigue 
 was amply repaid ; for on looking down 
 J beheld not the sea-beach, as I had 
 imagined, but a delightful valley, full 
 of shady cocoa-nut and palm-trees. 
 
through which ran a clear stream of jjij 
 water, and which I afterwards found 
 flowed from the same source: the 1 
 ground was covered with verdant i 
 grass, and the sides of the rocks which 
 surrounded this valley clothed with ^ 
 shrubs and low bushes. j 
 
 My joyful feelings at this pleasing 
 change were inexpressible, as you may i 
 suppose. Our descent to the valley 
 was rendered easy by the roots and 
 branches of the trees, which grew i 
 amiong the chinks and fissures of the 
 rocks. Tired with our long walk, we 
 gladly reposed our weary limbs on a p 
 green bank beneath some shady trees. ] 
 Having procured some cocoa-nuts, I j 
 cut one with my knife, and gave some |||{| 
 of the milk to Edward, who was grate- I 
 ful for the refreshment it afforded him, i I 
 and soon after sunk in a profound |i| 
 slumber. |l 
 
 Althougli greatly fatigued, my mind ||| 
 
28 
 
 (for some time) was too much accu- 
 pied by my own sad tliouglits, to par- 
 take of a like repose ; the sorrow which 
 I felt for the loss of my friend, and the 
 probability of passing the remainder of 
 my life on this island, pressed heavily 
 on my heart, and caused feelings of 
 regret, which again gave place to 
 others of a bitter nature. 
 
 Whilst these thoughts occupied my 
 mind, I insensibly fell asleep, and I 
 suppose must have slept some hours, 
 for the sun was fast declining, before 
 either myself or my little companion 
 awoke. 
 
 Greatly restored by our long rest, 
 v^e determined to examine our valley 
 a little further, before night closed in. 
 Hitherto I had perceived no signs of 
 habitation, nor any marks by which 
 we might imagine the island ever to 
 have been explored, but as I proceeded 
 along the side of a grove, I was some- 
 
29 
 
 what startled by the evident marks of 
 trees having been felled by a hatchet, 
 though not lately, as the chips and 
 pieces of wood evidently showed; on 
 emerging from this little wood, I was 
 still more surprised by finding a seat 
 beneath a tree, made after the fashion 
 of European garden-chairs, and whilst 
 I was busied in conjecture as to its 
 appearance; little Edward, who had 
 been skipping on before me, called my 
 attention to a yet more agreeable sight, 
 and on looking up on the summit of a 
 steep aclivity, I beheld what at first 
 sight appeared to be a temple, sup- 
 ported by pillars; but on a nearer ap- 
 proach it proved to be a sort of hut, 
 formed with stakes, and thatched on 
 the top with some of the long grass 
 with which this part of the island 
 abounded. 
 
 I immediately concluded that the 
 island was inhabited, and I fully ex- 
 
30 
 
 pected to encounter the master of the 
 dweUing, at every turn of the path 
 which led to it*/but here I was disap- 
 pointed, the hut being quite empty, 
 and no living crcciture appearing, I 
 raised my voice, and shouted as loud 
 as I could, but was answered only by 
 the echo of my own voice among the 
 rocks, and then all was silent again. 
 On casting my eyes on one of the pil- 
 lars that supported the hut, I perceived 
 letters cut on it, and removing the moss 
 which partly covered the characters, 
 I read the following inscription: 
 
 James Hardy, Carpenter, of the Elizabeth, 
 East-Indiaman, was wrecked off the rocks, bear- 
 ing west of this island; and was cast ashore the 
 2nd of May, in the year of our Lord 1787, and 
 remained on this place during the space of seven ^ 
 years; when by the providence of God, he w^as 
 discovered by the crew of the King George. He 
 inscribes this as a memorial, for the sake of any 
 unhappy mariner, who may be cast away at 
 any future time, and landed on this island. 
 
 I read this little narrative with great 
 
31 
 
 interest, and felt grateful to the hand 
 that had inscribed it, as it afforded me 
 the mo^t lively hopes of one day being 
 delivered in like manner. 
 
 ^ The only kind of reptile, that I 
 saw, during my residence on that 
 
 I island, was a very small speckeled 
 snake, which lived in the chinks and 
 holes of the rocks: and though I be- 
 lieve these creatures were perfectly 
 harmless, the sight of them always oc- 
 casioned much uneasiness to my little 
 charge, who generally ran back to me 
 in great alarm if he chanced to meet 
 one in the path, or among the flowers 
 he was gathering. 
 
 I have neglected to inform you, that 
 besides the hut, which I had first dis- 
 covered, there was another more shel- 
 tered below the hill, which though 
 much warmer, was not so agreeably 
 situated, but it proved of great service 
 as a sleeping place and store-house. 
 
32 
 
 The early part of the day, and the 
 cool of the evening, I employed my- 
 self in collecting turtles' eggs from a- 
 mong the sand, and exploring the 
 rocks for the nests of the sea~ fowl: in 
 these excursions, little Edward was 
 my constant companion, and he soon 
 became as expert in climbing as my- 
 self The young fowls were roasted or 
 boiled; for you may be sure while I 
 had a knife in my pocket, and a flint 
 was to be found on the island I would 
 not eat raw food: as to fuel, we had 
 plenty in the valley, and the shell of 
 the cocoa-nuts served as dishes. 
 
 On the whole, my time passed plea- 
 santly enough on the island, and I 
 had nothing to disturb the tranquility 
 of my mind, excepting thoughts of 
 that home, after which my heart still 
 yearned. 
 
 We had been four months on the 
 island as near as I can reckon, when 
 
33 
 
 one day, while I was preparing some 
 eggs and vegetables for dinner, little 
 Edward rushed into the hut quite out 
 of breathy and flinging his arms about 
 my knees, in a voice almost rendered 
 inarticulate through agitation^ exclaim- 
 ed, ''They are coming! they are com- 
 ing!" " Who are coming?" I demanded 
 with some surprise, "The men! the 
 men to catch me!" was all the ex- 
 planation I could obtain from the 
 panting child. 
 
 I was still endeavouring to learn the 
 
 I cause of his terror^ when the sound of 
 approaching footsteps made me turn 
 round; and, to my unspeakable joy, I 
 beheld two young men, dressed in the 
 uniform of the East India Company, 
 ascending the rocky steps that led to 
 
 I my dwelling. 
 
 I gladly hastened to meet my wel- 
 come visitors, and briefly explained to 
 
34 
 
 them my present situation and wish to 
 leave the island. 
 
 My new acquaintances were much 
 interested in my adventures, and pro- 
 mised to take me on board the Queen 
 Charlotte, then homeward bound; and 
 assured me of every necessary and com- 
 fort, during my passage to England. 
 
 They informed me (in answer to my 
 enquiries) that anchoring in sight of 
 land, the captain had sent them on 
 shore with the boat's crew, to get 
 fresh water and fruits, if such were to 
 be found; and chancing to observe the 
 signal flag, they commanded the men 
 to rest on their oars, while they v/ent 
 on shore, conjecturing that it must 
 have been hoisted by some one, who 
 through '.ccident had either been cast 
 ashore, or left on the island ; this idea 
 was strengthened by hearing the voice 
 of a child, singing, as they entered the 
 valley; and to their great surprise they 
 
36 
 
 beheld a little boy gathering herbs 
 from the brook: they had approached 
 close to him before he perceived them: 
 but on speaking, he started up in 
 great haste, and fled; and though they 
 called loudly to him and ran after him, 
 he climbed the side of the rock with 
 the agility of a wild goat, and was 
 soon lost among the bushes on the 
 summit. This account explained to 
 me the terror of little Edward, when 
 he rushed into the hut. 
 
 It was not without some feelings of 
 regret, that I quitted a spot where I 
 had passed so many tranquil and ha.ppy 
 hours : my little Edward was very loth 
 to quit the valley and his home, as he 
 was accustomed to call the hut on the 
 hill; nor would he be persuaded to 
 leave the deck, while the least part of 
 the island remained visible. 
 
 We were received with the greatest 
 kindness by every one on board, espe- 
 
36 
 
 cially by the Captain, who offered me 
 the situation of secretary, having lost 
 the young man who had formerly filled 
 that place, through a fever of which he 
 had died a fevv days before my coming 
 on board. 
 
 I have now my dear friends, related 
 to you, as near as I can remenber, the 
 most remarkable occurrences that have 
 taken place, since last v/e parted, and 
 believe me, I consider the perils and 
 storms I have passed through, were 
 am;,:,ly repaid, when I folded in my 
 arms each beloved member of my 
 family; and was assured by my sisters, 
 that they had not forgotten their long 
 lost, absent, but affectionate Sailor 
 Brother. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 and Munday, Printers, Tlireadiieedlc-Strect. 
 
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