The first edition of this book is dated 1876. The edition used is dated 1876. The publisher was The Religious Tract Society, London. The number of pages is 124.
General information
Peter’s mother lies dying in the first chapter, and gives him her own Bible. Peter’s father had already died at sea, and the only family income had been what Peter earned looking after a farmer’s sheep. After the death the little house had to be sold to settle debts, leaving virtually nothing. Peter decides to go to sea, and makes his way to a nearby port, where, against advice, he takes a place as a ship’s boy in a coasting brig carrying cargoes of coals. The Captain is very unkind to him, as are most of the rest of the crew, but Peter is buoyed up only by his Bible which he contrives to carry with him at all times. In a gale the brig starts to sink and the Captain and crew abandon her in the ship’s boat, leaving Peter on board as he had been sent below to get food for the crew, and was forgotten. However, the sinking brig grounds inside the tail of a bank, where she is sheltered from the gale. After a couple of days he is seen and rescued by the crew of the “Primrose”, where he is taken on, again as a ship’s boy.
One of the crew is a grumpy old man called Simon Hixon. After a long time Peter and Simon become more friendly. There is an accident and the vessel is cast up on a rock fairly near an island. The Captain is injured as he had been the last to leave the sinking vessel.
Eventually there is a rescue by a passing ship, and life begins to go uphill for Peter after that. We won’t spoil the story for you, but it is a very well told tale, written not long before Kingston’s death, at the very height of his powers.
Contents
Chapter I.
Peter’s Home and Friends.
Chapter II.
A Start in Life.
Chapter III.
Perils at Sea.
Chapter IV.
On Board the Primrose.
Chapter V.
Strength in Weakness.
Chapter VI.
Saved from the Wreck.
Chapter VII.
Life on the Rock.
Chapter VIII.
Peter rises in the World.
Chapter IX.
A Strange Discovery.
E-Books created from nineteenth century or early twentieth century texts by Athelstane E-Books.