The first edition of this book is dated 1869. The edition used is dated 1910. The publisher was Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., London. The number of pages is 184.

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General information

This is not a very long book, but the story is a good one. Several families have met together to have a picnic on a pleasant local beach. To everyone’s delight they are joined by Harry Merryweather, a midshipman home on leave. Harry and another youth, David Moreton, go for a wander round the rocks, but are cut off by the strong tide. The weather then turns very nasty, but the boys are able to swim to a passing boat containing an old man, Jefferies, and his young grandson, Tristram. The weather is now so bad they can’t back to the local harbour at Penmore.

There is an accident and young Tristram is lost overboard, and drowned.

They see a vessel, a brig, on her way down channel, but when they get to her they find she is an abandoned wreck. More bad weather. They are seen by a schooner about some bad business, who opens fire, probably to destroy an unwanted witness to some crime. The brig is sinking. They make a raft. Old Jefferies dies. They are picked up by a French schooner, which turns out to be a privateer. At this point the story gets even more convoluted, and you will have to read the book to see what happens next, and how the boys eventually get home.

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Contents

Chapter I.
The Picnic on the Sands—The Midshipman—Harry Merryweather and David Moreton Caught by the Tide—The Alarm.

Chapter II.
On the Rocks—A Brave Lad—Saved—Tristram’s Fate—Still in a Boat.

Chapter III.
Where were they?—Raw Fish—Sleep—The Brig without a Crew—An Aged Christian.

Chapter IV.
A Storm—The Boat lost—A Discovery—Harry saves David’s Life—Pumping—The Strange Sail.

Chapter V.
Making a Raft—Afloat on it—The Grief at Home—Captain Rymer’s Appointment—The Voyage.

Chapter VI.
On the Raft—The Shark—The Sea-fight.

Chapter VII.
The Union Jack beats—The Raft still Unseen—The Privateer—Death of Old Jefferies—The French Captain.

Chapter VIII.
The Good-natured Seamen—Pierre Lamont—David’s Employment—The Republican Officer.

Chapter IX.
The Prisoners have to work—The Chase—The Merchant Ship is taken—The Boys find their Friend Captain Rymer and Mary—The Hurricane.

Chapter X.
On a Reef—Fate of the French Crew—The Island—The Shipwrecked People—The French Lieutenant L’Hirondelle.

Chapter XI.
The Rescue of the French Seamen—Mary a Prisoner to the French—Pierre delivers her—Bad Conduct of the French.

Chapter XII.
The Arrival of the “Arethusa”—The French taken Prisoners—David becomes a Midshipman—The Fight and Victory—Joy at Home—The End.

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