The first edition of this book is dated 1876. The edition used is dated 1890. The publisher was Thomas Nelson and Sons, London, Edinburgh, New York. The number of pages is 369.

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General information

The books starts off with a young Grammar-School boy being introduced to the local tailor, who is also a bit of a linguist. Our hero, and his friend Halliday, learn Arabic with the tailor. This turns out later on to have been very fortunate. Our hero and his friend are taken on as midshipmen on a frigate, where they are well trained. They spend three years at sea, and have the chance of visiting various ports in the Eastern Mediterranean, and also of getting to Cairo.

However their next appointment is to the “Viper”, a brig which is barely stable. They almost upset on one occasion, and then really do sink when off the coast of Africa. Our friends and a couple of other seamen are lucky enough to have got off on a simple raft, though all the rest of the crew perish. Hungry and thirsty they find themselves on a sandbank at a considerable distance from the mainland. And it is at this point that their adventures really begin.

The book is copiously illustrated with engravings, some of which are very nice when viewed with the pdf version of the book, but which are not always so good in the html version. Although the name of the illustrator is not given on the title page, the word “Riou” appears on most of the engravings, along with a second, longer, name, which most probably is that of the engraver.

This book makes a good audiobook, though indeed not a long one. NH.

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Contents

Chapter I.
The wonderful linguist—I study Arabic—My first voyage to sea—We sail for the coast of Africa—The brig capsized—Saved on a raft.

Chapter II.
Cast on a sand-bank—Our sufferings from thirst—A happy discovery.

Chapter III.
We quit the sand-bank—A sail! a sail!—Saved—Don Lopez’s indignation—The ship strikes—Fire! fire!—Cruelly deserted—The wreck blows up.

Chapter IV.
Meeting on the raft—an atrocious deed—A desperate fight—Swimming for life—A terrible doom.

Chapter V.
A frightful encounter with sharks—A chase, and an escape—Land! land!—Breakers ahead.

Chapter VI.
A deceptive coast—What is it?—Our disappointment—A strange apparition.

Chapter VII.
Ben’s dream—An unpleasant discovery—A search for water—Friends or foes?—Boxall’s ingenious mode of obtaining a light—Our companion spirited away.

Chapter VIII.
The search for Boxall—The Arab encampment—We find water—Ben makes a “circumbendibus” of the Arab camp—Captured by black Arabs—Antonio’s escape from the wreck—His reception by the Ouadlims.

Chapter IX.
An unpleasant change—Ben undergoes a severe trial—The Ouadlims receive an unwelcome visit—We are made peace-offerings—A curious spectacle—I make friends with the Sheikh’s brother Abdalah—The shipwrecked party—Discover a valuable friend—Antonio’s escape from the wreck.

Chapter X.
The fate of the shipwrecked party—The well in the desert—We see Boxall—A panther visits the camp—Treachery—Selim proves himself a true friend—Antonio made prisoner—His escape—We rescue the sheikh from a mountain of sand—The salt region.

Chapter XI.
Conversation on religious matters with the Sheikh and Marabouts—The slave track—At the shrine of the saint—I start on a journey—The sheikh grants me a favour—An unpleasant duty—attacked by a wild beast—Antonio haunts our camp—Arrival at our destination.

Chapter XII.
I escape from the camp—A terrible encounter—Selim arrived—We cross the stream—A joyful meeting.

Chapter XIII.
The raft upset—We discover a canoe—A fight for liberty—Recaptured—The black woman’s kindness—The black sheikh better than he looks—Sheikh Hamed’s anger—A frightful doom—Rescued.

Chapter XIV.
The old recluse—Description of the camp—Night intruders—Bu Saef—The mirage—Overtaken by a sand-storm—Fearful sufferings—Arrive at an oasis—Falling fortunes—Another conversation with Marabouts—Visitors at the camp—Sold—Arrive at a town.

Chapter XV.
Ben displays his ability as a gunsmith—I act the part of eavesdropper—How Siddy Boo Cassem obtained Bu Saef—Selim goes on a dangerous expedition—Its result—Boxall doctors Siddy Boo Cassem—We take French leave of our masters.

Chapter XVI.
Hotly pursued—Ben gallops off on Bu Saef—We find concealment in a ruin—Surrounded by our pursuers—A fierce conflict—Ben appears—A friendly reception—How Ben arrived at the French camp—Sail for Old England—Conclusion.

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