A story about three young British boys who are shipwrecked on a desert island, and fashion their own society and way of life, meeting with missionaries and savages. In the end they are rescued, and returned home much wiser and more mature, for their adventure.
63714The Coral Island1857R. M. Ballantyne
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PETERKIN CAUGHT CONVERSING WITH THE CAT. Page 145
The Coral Island:
A Tale of the Pacific Ocean.
by
Robert Michael Ballantyne.
author of "Hudson's Bay; or, every-day life in the wilds of North America;" "Snow-flakes and Sun-beams; or, the young fur traders:" "Ungava; a tale of the Esquimaux,"
&c. &c.
With illustrations by the author.
Boston:
Phillips, Sampson and Company.
1859.
Riverside, Cambridge:
Printed by H. O. Houghton and Company.
Preface.
I was a boy when I went through the wonderful adventures herein set down. With the memory of my boyish feelings strong upon me, I present my book specially to boys, in the earnest hope that they may derive valuable information, much pleasure, great profit, and unbounded amusement from its pages.
One word more. If there is any boy or man who loves to be melancholy and morose, and who cannot enter with kindly sympathy into the regions of fun, let me seriously advise him to shut my book and put it away. It is not meant for him.
We examine into our personal property, and make a happy discovery—Our island described—Jack proves himself to be learned and sagacious above his fellows—Curious discoveries—Natural lemonade!
Morning, and cogitations connected therewith—We luxuriate in the sea, try our diving powers, and make enchanting excursions among the coral groves at the bottom of the ocean—The wonders of the deep enlarged upon,
An excursion into the interior, in which we make many valuable and interesting discoveries—We get a dreadful fright—The bread-fruit tree—Wonderful peculiarity of some of the fruit-trees—Signs of former inhabitants,
The beauties of the bottom of the sea tempt Peterkin to dive—How he did it—More difficulties overcome—The water garden—Curious creatures of the sea—The tank—Candles missed very much, and the candle-nut tree discovered—Wonderful account of Peterkin's first voyage—Cloth found growing on a tree—A plan projected, and arms prepared for offence and defence—A dreadful cry,
Make discovery of many excellent roots and fruits—The resources of the Coral Island gradually unfolded—The banian-tree—Another tree which is supported by natural planks—Water-fowl found—A very remarkable discovery, and a very
peculiar murder—We luxuriate on the fat of the land,
Effects of over-eating, and reflections thereon—Humble advice regarding cold water—The "horrible cry" accounted for—The curious birds called penguins—Peculiarity of the cocoa-nut palm—Questions on the formation of coral islands—Mysterious footsteps—Strange discoveries and sad sights,
Something wrong with the tank—Jack's wisdom and Peterkin's impertinence—Wonderful behavior of a crab—Good wishes for those who dwell far from the sea—Jack commences to build a little boat,
Notable discovery at the spouting cliffs—The mysterious green monster explained—We are thrown into unutterable terror by the idea that Jack is drowned—The Diamond Cave,
Strange peculiarity of the tides—Also of the twilight—Peterkin's remarkable conduct in embracing a little pig and killing a big sow—Sage remarks on jesting—Also on love,
Boat-building extraordinary—Peterkin tries his hand at cookery and fails most signally—The boat finished—Curious conversation with the cat, and other matters,
The boat launched—We visit the coral reef—The great breaker that never goes down—Coral insects—The way in which coral islands are made—The boat's sail—We tax our ingenuity to form fish-hooks—Some of the fish we saw—And a monstrous whale—Wonderful shower of little fish—Water-spouts,
A monster wave and its consequences—The boat lost and found—Peterkin's terrible accident—Supplies of food for a voyage in the boat—We visit Penguin Island, and are amazed beyond measure—Account of the penguins,
Shoemaking—The even tenor of our way suddenly interrupted—An unexpected visit and an appalling battle—We all become warriors, and Jack proves himself to be a hero,
Sagacious and moral remarks in regard to life—A sail!—An unexpected salute—The end of the black cat—A terrible dive—an incautious proceeding and a frightful catastrophe,
I fall into the hands of pirates—How they treated me, and what I said to them—The result of the whole ending in a melancholy separation and in a most unexpected gift,
Bloody Bill—Dark surmises—A strange sail, and a strange crew, and a still stranger cargo—New reasons for favoring missionaries—A murderous massacre, and thoughts thereon,
Bloody Bill is communicative and sagacious—Unpleasant prospects—Retrospective meditations interrupted by volcanic agency—The pirates negotiate with a Feejee chief—Various etceteras that are calculated to surprise and horrify,
The sandal-wood party—Native children's games, somewhat surprising—Desperate amusements suddenly and fatally brought to a close—An old friend recognized—News—Romata's mad conduct,
Mischief brewing—My blood is made to ran cold—Evil consultations and wicked resolves—Bloody Bill attempts to do good and fails—The attack—Wholsale murder—The flight—The escape,
The effect of a cannon-shot—A happy reunion of a somewhat moist nature—Retrospects and explanations—An awful dive—New plans—The last of the Coral Island,
The voyage—The island, and consultation in which danger is scouted as a thing unworthy of consideration—Rats and cats—The native teacher—Awful revelations—Wonderful effects of Christianity,
