The Voyages of the "Ranger" and "Crusader": And what befell their Passengers and Crews.Kingston, William Henry Giles
General
The Voyages of the "Ranger" and "Crusader": And what befell their Passengers and Crews.
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Seafaring life -- Juvenile fiction
Harry having reached the settlement some time before, preparations were
already being made for the reception of the party. The men willingly
turned out to give up their huts to the women and children. Fires were
lighted, and several of the people were busy, under the direction of
Mrs Rumbelow, cooking food, while the men were employed in bringing in
wood for forming fresh huts. Harry started off a fresh party to assist
those already engaged in the work. The gentlemen laboured as hard as
any of the men, and in a short time a row of huts, constructed after the
fashion of those already built, rose near them.
Harry's chief anxiety was, however, to provide food for so many mouths,
as he saw the store which had been made for the former party rapidly
diminishing. Some of the emigrants grumbled, too, at not having a
greater variety. Seal-soup and fried roots served for breakfast, and
boiled or roasted seal, with baked roots and water, for dinner, while
the same fare was served at supper. Sometimes fish varied the material
for their meals; but neither they nor mussels were to be obtained when
the weather was stormy, and the sea broke with violence on the rocks.
Several days passed away, when a sail was seen coming up the harbour.
She was recognised as the cutter. Nearly all the inhabitants of the
little settlement ran down to welcome her. She had on board several
casks and kegs brought by the boatswain from the wreck. They were
eagerly rolled up to the huts, when they were found to contain flour and
beef, raisins and suet. "Hurrah! we shall have English beef and
plum-pudding now," exclaimed numerous voices. The doctor, however, who
acted as store-keeper, ordered them at once to be placed in safe
keeping, to be served out as required. He soon afterwards held a
consultation with Mrs Rumbelow. Under his directions, an oven was
constructed, while he set to work in his laboratory to manufacture some
yeast, or risings, as Mrs Rumbelow called the composition; and the next
morning a supply of hot rolls was distributed among the women and
children. How delicious they appeared to those who had for many a long
day not tasted a morsel of bread!
Bollard brought word that considerable progress had already been made in
building the "Young Crusader," and Captain Westerway requested that he
might be supplied with such provisions as the island afforded, in order
to husband those which had been saved from the wreck, as they would be
required as stores for the vessel. Among other things, he brought
several cases of gunpowder, and the sportsmen were therefore able to
range the island with their guns in search of game.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account