Transcriber’s Note: Italics are enclosed in _underscores_. Additional notes will be found near the end of this ebook. [Illustration: (cover)] LOST SHIPS AND LONELY SEAS [Illustration: THE WRECK OF THE “POLLY”] LOST SHIPS AND LONELY SEAS BY RALPH D. PAINE ILLUSTRATED [Illustration] NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. Copyright, 1920, 1921, by THE CENTURY CO. PRINTED IN U. S. A. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I THE SINGULAR FATE OF THE BRIG POLLY 3 II HOW THE SCHOONER EXERTION FELL AMONG THIEVES 25 III THE TRAGEDY OF THE FRIGATE MEDUSA 51 IV THE WRECK OF THE BLENDEN HALL, EAST INDIAMAN 76 V THE ADVENTURES OF DAVID WOODARD, CHIEF MATE 107 VI CAPTAIN PADDOCK ON THE COAST OF BARBARY 131 VII FOUR THOUSAND MILES IN AN OPEN BOAT 160 VIII THE FRIGATES THAT VANISHED IN THE SOUTH SEAS 189 IX WHEN H. M. S. PHOENIX DROVE ASHORE 212 X THE ROARING DAYS OF PIRACY 232 XI THE LOSS OF THE WAGER MAN-OF-WAR 259 XII THE CRUISE OF THE WAGER’S LONG-BOAT 288 XIII THE GRIM TALE OF THE NOTTINGHAM GALLEY 309 XIV THE STORM-SWEPT FLEET OF ADMIRAL GRAVES 330 XV THE BRISK YARN OF THE SPEEDWELL PRIVATEER 350 XVI LUCKLESS SEAMEN LONG IN EXILE 367 XVII THE NOBLE KING OF THE PELEW ISLANDS 393 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS The wreck of the _Polly_ _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE Seamanship was helpless to ward off the attack of the storm that left the brig a sodden hulk 8 Fresh water trickled from the end of the pistol-barrel, and they caught it in a tin cup 16 _Volusia_ off Salem, built at Falmouth, Mass., in 1801, and Wrecked at Cape Cod in 1802 20 The pirate captain boarding the captured _Exertion_ 29 Armed with as many of the aforementioned weapons as they could well sling about their bodies 33