A Boy's Voyage Round the World

Samuel Smiles

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• Publié par: iwlyo
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 18
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Boy's Voyage Round the World, by The Son of Samuel Smiles This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: A Boy's Voyage Round the World Author: The Son of Samuel Smiles Editor: Samuel Smiles Release Date: January 17, 2008 [EBook #24345] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A BOY'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD *** Produced by Thierry Alberto, Diane Monico, and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net 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, not only because it is the work of my youngest son, but also because it contains the results of a good deal of experience of life under novel aspects, as seen by young, fresh, and observant eyes. How the book came to be written is as follows: The boy, whose two years' narrative forms the subject of these pages, was at the age of sixteen seized with inflammation of the lungs, from which he was recovering so slowly and unsatisfactorily, that I was advised by London physicians to take him from the business he was then learning in Yorkshire, and send him on a long sea voyage. Australia was recommended, because of the considerable time occupied in making the voyage by sailing ship, and also because of the comparatively genial and uniform temperature while at sea. He was accordingly sent out to Melbourne by one of 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 a time in the colony. It will be found, from his own narrative that, having obtained some suitable employment, he decided to adopt the latter course; and for a period of about eighteen months he resided at Majorca, an up-country township situated in the gold-mining district of Victoria. When his health had become re-established, he was directed to return home, about the beginning of the present year; and he resolved to make the return voyage by the Pacific route, viâ Honolulu and San Francisco, and to proceed from thence by railway across the Rocky Mountains to New York. While at sea, the boy kept a full log, intended for the perusal of his relatives at home; and while on land, he corresponded with them regularly and fully, never missing a mail. He had not the remotest idea that anything which he saw and described during his absence would ever appear in a book. But since his return, it has occurred to the Editor of these pages that the information they contain will probably be found interesting to a wider circle of readers than that 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 in arranging the materials, leaving the writer to tell his own story as much as possible in his own way, and in his own words. S. S. London, November, 1871. CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTER I. DOWN CHANNEL. AT G RAVESEND —TAKING IN S TORES —FIRST N ON B IGHT OARD —"THE ANCHOR'S U "—OFF B P RIGHTON —C HANGE OF W IND —GALE IN THE CHANNEL—THE BANDONED HIP A S —THE DDYSTONE —PLYMOUTH E HARBOUR—DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND 1 CHAPTER II. FLYING SOUTH. FELLOW-PASSENGERS—LIFE ON OARD HIP B S —PROGRESS OF THE SHIP—HER H ANDLING —A F R D TO THE L INE UN OWN INE —SHIP'S AMUSEMENTS—CLIMBING THE MIZEN —THE CAPE DE VERD I LANDS —SAN S ANTONIO 10 CHAPTER III. WITHIN THE TROPICS. INCREASE OF T EMPERATURE —FLYING F —THE M ISH ORNING B ON ATH BOARD—PAYING "FOOTINGS" —THE MAJOR'S WONDERFUL STORIES —ST. PATRICK'S AY —GRAMPUSES—A HIP IN IGHT D S S —THE ORD 'L RAGLAN'—RAIN-FALL IN THE T ROPICS —TROPICAL SUNSETS —THE Y ANKEE WHALER 22 CHAPTER IV. THE 'BLUE JACKET.' APRIL FOOLS' DAY —A SHIP IN SIGHT —THE 'PYRMONT' —THE R ESCUED 'BLUE JACKET' PASSENGERS —STORY OF THE BURNT SHIP —SUFFERING OF THE LADY PASSENGERS IN AN O PEN BOAT —THEIR R ESCUE —D ISTRESSING SCENE ON BOARD THE 'PYRMONT' 32 CHAPTER V. IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. PREPARING FOR ROUGH WEATHER —THE 'GEORGE THOMPSON' CLIPPER —A RACE AT EA —SCENE ROM 'P S F ICKWICK' CTED A —FISHING FOR ALBATROSS—DISSECTION AND DIVISION OF THE BIRD —WHALES—STRONG GALE—SMASH IN THE CABIN—SHIPPING A GREEN SEA —THE SEA BIRDS IN OUR WAKE—THE CROZET ISLANDS 41 CHAPTER VI. NEARING AUSTRALIA—THE LANDING. ACTING ON OARD —THE YCLONE —CLEANING THE HIP FOR B C S PORT—CONTRARY WINDS —AUSTRALIA IN SIGHT —CAPE OTWAY —PORT PHILLIP EADS —PILOT AKEN ON OARD H T B —INSIDE THE HEADS—WILLIAMSTOWN—SANDRIDGE—THE LANDING 54 CHAPTER VII. MELBOURNE. FIRST MPRESSIONS OF M I ELBOURNE —SURVEY OF THE C ITY —THE 60 STREETS—COLLINS STREET—THE TRAFFIC—NEWNESS AND YOUNGNESS OF MELBOURNE—ABSENCE OF BEGGARS—MELBOURNE AN ENGLISH CITY —THE CHINESE Q UARTER —THE PBLIC IBRARY —PENTRIDGE PISON —THE U L R YARRA R —ST. K —SOCIAL E IVER ILDA XPERIENCES IN M ELBOURNE —A MARRIAGE BALL—MELBOURNE LADIES—VISIT TO A SERIOUS FAMILY CHAPTER VIII. UP COUNTRY. OBTAIN A ITUATION IN AN P-COUNTRY ANK S U B —JOURNEY BY RAIL—CASTLEMAINE—FURTHER OURNEY BY J COACH—MARYBOROUGH—FIRST S OF THE BSH IGHT U —THE B USH TRACKS—EVENING P ROSPECT OVER THE C OUNTRY —ARRIVAL AT MY DESTINATION 76 CHAPTER IX. MAJORCA. MAJORCA F OUNDED IN A R USH —DESCRIPTION OF A R USH —D IGGERS CAMPING OUT—GOLD-MINING AT MAJORCA —MAJORCA HIGH STREET—THE PEOPLE—THE NNS I —THE HURCHES C —THE ANK B —THE CHINAMEN—AUSTRALIA THE PARADISE OF WORKING MEN—"SHOUTING" FOR DRINKS—ABSENCE OF BEGGARS—NO COPPERS UP COUNTRY 85 CHAPTER X. MY NEIGHBOURHOOD AND NEIGHBOURS. "DINING OUT "—DIGGERS' S UNDAY D INNER —THE O W LD ORKINGS —THE CHINAMEN'S G ARDENS —C HINAMEN'S D WELLINGS —THE C EMETERY —THE HIGH PLAINS —THE BUSH—A RIDE THROUGH THE BUSH —THE SAVOYARD WOODCUTTER—VISIT TO A SQUATTER 96 CHAPTER XI. AUSTRALIAN WINTER—THE FLOODS. THE V ICTORIAN C LIMATE —THE B IN W USH INTER —THE E UCALYPTUS OR AUSTRALIAN UM-TREE —BALL AT LUNES —FIRE IN THE AIN G C M STREET—THE BUGGY SAVED —DOWN-POUR OF R —GOING H BY AIN OME WATER—THE LOODS OUT F —CLUNES UBMERGED —CALAMITY AT S BALLARAT—DAMAGE DONE BY THE F LOOD —THE C HINAMEN'S G ARDENS WASHED AWAY 107 CHAPTER XII. SPRING, SUMMER, AND HARVEST. SPRING V EGETATION —THE B IN S USH PRING —GARDEN F LOWERS —AN EVENING WALK —AUSTRALIAN MOONLIGHT—THE HOT NORTH WIND —THE PLAGUE OF F —BUSH F —SUMMER AT CHRISTMAS —AUSTRALIAN LIES IRES FRUITS—ASCENT OF OUNTM REENOCK G —AUSTRALIAN WINE—HARVEST—A QUATTER'S ARM S F