Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England The Wanderers; or Adventures in the Wilds of Trinidad and up the Orinoco, by W.H.G. Kingston. ________________________________________________________________________ For political reasons the Macnamara family are forced to leave their old home in Pennsylvania, and elect to resettle in Trinidad. A big mistake because it is being administered by a bigoted Spanish religious government. The mother dies and is buried, but two Roman Catholic priests arrive with the intention of carrying out the funeral under their rites. So once again the family are displaced, this time for religious reasons. They escape to South America, and make their way into the Orinoco river. There follow innumerable adventures and near shaves of various kinds. But it was a mistake again, because the Spanish are administering the territory, and wish to root out anyone who has no business to be there. On escaping all this they hear that a new administration in Trinidad has abolished the malpractices of the Spanish priestly regime, and they are welcome to return. They sell the Trinidad plantation at a profit, and return to England, though always hankering after their original settlement in Pennsylvania. ________________________________________________________________________ THE WANDERERS; OR ADVENTURES IN THE WILDS OF TRINIDAD AND UP THE ORINOCO, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON. CHAPTER ONE. OUR OLD HOME IN PENNSYLVANIA--REVERSE OF FORTUNE--ARRIVAL IN TRINIDAD-- UNCLE PAUL AND ARTHUR FOLLOW US--SETTLED ON AN ESTATE--SUSPECTED OF HERESY--OUR MOTHER'S ILLNESS--DON ANTONIO'S WARNING--OUR MOTHER'S DEATH--THE PRIEST'S INDIGNATION--WE LEAVE HOME--ARTHUR'S NARROW ESCAPE. We lived very happily at the dear old home in the State of Pennsylvania, where my sister Marian and I were born. Our father, Mr Dennis Macnamara, who was a prosperous merchant, had settled there soon after his marriage with our mother, and we had been brought up with every comfort we could desire. Uncle Paul Netherclift, our mother's brother, who was employed in our father's house of business, resided with us; as did our cousin Arthur Tuffnel, who had lately come over from England to find employment in the colony. Our father was generally in good spirits, and never appeared to think that a reverse of fortune could happen to him. One day, however, he received a visit from a person who was closeted with him for some hours. After the stranger had gone, he appeared suddenly to have become an altered man, his vivacity and high spirits having completely deserted him--while both Uncle Paul and Arthur looked unusually grave; and young as I was, I could not help seeing that something disastrous had happened. My fears were confirmed on overhearing a conversation between my father and mother when they were not aware that I was listening.