Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England In the Wilds of Florida, by W.H.G. Kingston. ________________________________________________________________________ In this book by Kingston we are introduced to Florida in the mid-19th century, when the tail-end of the wars between the Cherokee and Seminole Indians was still rumbling on, and the white man was still occasionally disturbed by attacks by Indians. Large areas of the territory are swamp, water, and densely overgrown plains. All this is described in detail. Our hero this time is a "school-leaver" from Ireland, whose father seems to have had just one too many sons for him to be able to provide for all of them. His estate is a little encumbered by debt: he is what was known as a squireen. While trying to make up his mind what to do the boy decides to visit relatives in the USA, and that is why he went to Florida. It must be said that he appeared quite thankful to get back more or less in one piece! As an audiobook this will play for about ten hours. ________________________________________________________________________ IN THE WILDS OF FLORIDA, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON. CHAPTER ONE. WITHOUT A PROFESSION--AN IRISH "SQUIREEN"--NEWS FROM ABROAD--UNCLE NICHOLAS AND HIS FAMILY--PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE--TIM FLANAGAN-- PARTING CALLS--ON BOARD THE "LIBERTY"--OUR FELLOW-PASSENGERS-- TABLE-TALK--A FRIENDLY HINT--A SAIL ON THE STARBOARD BOW--MONSIEUR LEJOILLIE--LITTLE PAUL OVERBOARD--GALLANTRY OF ROCHFORD--THE LION OF THE DAY. I had just left school, in a very undecided state of mind as to what profession I should select. The honest truth is, that I had no great fancy for one more than for another. I should have preferred that of a gentleman at large, with an independent fortune. But it had been so ordained that I should not possess the latter very satisfactory means of subsistence; and it was necessary, if I wished to support myself like a gentleman, that I should choose some calling by which I could at least obtain an income, supposing that I had not the talent to realise a large fortune.