The first edition of this book is dated 1870. The edition used is dated 1870. The publisher was Groombridge and Sons, 5 Paternoster Row, London. The number of pages is 132.

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General information

There are three short stories in this little book. The first thing to say is that the book has no page-numbers, which must be just about unique. I cannot imagine what the point of this is.

The three stories are of roughly equal length. The first is a story about Nelson purporting to have been written by an admirer whose work at sea kept him near to Nelson.

The second story is about farming in the Red River area of North America in the late 1700s or early 1800s. The weather, with flooding of the river, and the red Indians, made it all rather difficult.

The third story is about a young chap who while no more than fourteen distinguishes himself in battle, and is immediately promoted to midshipman. His bravery and seamanship win him several battles, with their prizes, and he is promoted till he is an Admiral with a baronetcy. Of course there are some jealous people on the way. But it is a pretty tale, with a pretty girl to be married.

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Contents

Chapter I.
My great ambition as a boy was to be a sailor; the idea of becoming one occupied my thoughts by day and influenced my dreams by night.

Chapter II.
“You have heard speak of the ‘Agamemnon’ of 64 guns. I was one of the old Agamemnons, as we called ourselves.

Chapter III.
“After lying at Naples for a long time, Lord Keith came out and took the chief command, and we sailed with a squadron for Malta.

Chapter IV.
“When I came home from the Baltic, I and others were landed at Yarmouth, and sent to the hospital.

Chapter I.
We cannot boast of many fine evenings in old England—dear old England for all that!—and when they do come they are truly lovely and worthy of being prized the more.

Chapter II.
There are different tribes. Some are called Crees, others Ojibways or Salteux, and these are constantly at war with the Sioux to the south, chiefly found across the United States boundary.

Chapter III.
The winter came—we did not feel the cold so much as we expected—it passed on and spring approached.

Chapter IV.
Long we continued to hope against hope. Neither was our father’s body, nor were any of the cattle he was driving off ever discovered.

Chapter V.
Soon after the grand hunting-day I have described, our scout brought word that a party of Sioux were in the neighbourhood.

Chapter VI.
With great satisfaction, and gratitude for the dangers we had escaped, our eyes once more rested on the silvery waters of the Red River, as it wound its way though the rich plains of the settlement, towards the lengthened expanse of Lake Winnipeg.

Chapter I.
It was the memorable 1st of June. A sea fight ever to be renowned in history was raging between the fleets of England and France.

Chapter II.
The “Marlborough,” though victorious, had received so tremendous a battering from her numerous opponents, that it was very clear the stout craft could not again go to sea without a thorough repair.

Chapter III.
The person who is constantly keeping his eye on the reward he aims at is very likely to stumble and fall, and never to reach it.

Chapter IV.
Once more the “Vestal” was at anchor in Port Royal harbour. In vain her brave captain had striven against the effects of his wounds.

Chapter V.
The arrival of the “Hecate” relieved the “Vestal,” which was ordered to proceed at once to sea.

Chapter VI.
Two years had passed by. Colonel Verner, now a general, with his daughter, had returned to England, and they were spending some weeks during the summer at the house of a friend, Admiral Sir J B—, in the Isle of Wight, in the neighbourhood of the then pretty little village of Ryde.

Chapter VII.
The admiral’s house commanded an extensive view of the Solent, looking across to Portsmouth, down the channel towards Cowes and up over Spithead.

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