A story for pre-teens, in which a small boy, Davy, is taken to a shipyard to watch the building of a new sailing-vessel, the Fair Nancy. Eventually Davy is allowed to sail on board of her as a boy-seaman. He is sea-sick at first, but soon recovers and learns how to climb the rigging to help with the sails. They encounter a hurricane, which knocks the ship over, and they lose the ship's boats.

A raft is made, but only a few people can get away on it, including the captain's wife. The ship drifts helpless until she is wrecked on a hostile shore. There is only one chance for the men, and that would be if someone could swim ashore with a rope and fasten it, so that each member of the crew can be brought ashore with a travelling block and harness. This works, and no lives are lost. They walk out of the wilderness till they come to a village, from which they make their way to Quebec, and thence back to England.

The Life of a Ship

Author: Robert M. Ballantyne

Title: The Life of a Ship

Series: n/a

First Published by: T. Nelson

Place:

Format:

Date: 1857

ISBN-10:

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