The World of Waters, Or, A Peaceful Progress O'er the Unpathed Sea — Text and Context

The Wilton Family.--Story of Frederic Hamilton

The Wiltons.--Dora Leslie.--Charles Dorning.--The Mediterranean. --Corsica.--Candia.--Rhodes.--Malta.--Valetta.--The Caledonia. --A Story by Krummacher.--Adriatic Sea.--Venice.--Turkish Rowers.--Elgin Marbles.--Isle of Wight.--Thunder Storm.--Jersey. --Romaine's Journal.--Slave Ship.--Horrible Cruelty.--Slave Trade. --Wreck of the Royal George.--Eddystone Lighthouse

The Wiltons.--A great Naval Victory.--Monster Fish.--The Downs.--St. Augustine.--Yarmouth.--Brock the Swimmer and Yarmouth Boatman.--The North Sea.--The Bell Rock.--Mr. Barraud.--Jock of Jedburgh.--Wreck of the Forfarshire.--Remarkable Providence.--Denmark.--The Baltic.--Journey to the Gulf of Finland.--Reindeer and Sledge. --Reval.--Superstitions.--Strange Fashions.--Ungern Sternberg. --Gulf of Bothnia.--Islands of the Baltic.--Lapland.--Aurora Borealis.--Russia.--Odessa.--Reflections

Stanzas by Mrs. Howitt.--Caspian Sea.--Astracan.--Droll Legend.--Yellow Sea.--The Japanese.--Monsoons.--Trade Winds.--Description of a Monsoon.--Asia.--The Red Sea.--Isthmus of Suez.--An Interesting Locality.--The Arabs.--Sea of Aral.--Chinese Islands.--Fishing for Mice.--The Typhon.--Fishing Birds.--Cinnamon Forests.--Eating Birds' Nests.--Bible Lands.--The Sea of Galilee.--The Dead Sea.--The Slave Merchant.--A Japan Puzzle

Story of Era.--Assistance of Goodwill.--Madeira.--Man-of-War.--Dinner on Ship-board.--Computing Latitude.--Pipe to Dinner.--The Azores.-- Newfoundland.--Newfoundland Dogs.--Greenland.--Whale Fishing.--Flying Fish.--A Ship In the Polar Regions.--An Awful Sight.--The Geysers. --Icelanders.--Spitzbergen.--The Ferroe Islands.--Maelstrom.--The Norwegian Mouse.--Hudson's Bay.--Hudson's Straits.--Nova Scotia.--Henry May.--The Ancient Mariner.--Cuba.--Jamaica.--Beauty of Jamaica.--A Hurricane.--Devastation.--Ruins of Yucatan.--Indians of Mexico.--The American Lakes.--Niagara.--The Caribbean Sea.--Panama.--Gala Days.--Diving for Pearls.--The Sea-Boy's Grave.--The Funeral.--Gulf of Trieste.--Guiana.--Brazil.--Rio de Janeiro.--Montevideo.--Patagonia. --Cape Horn.--Depth of the Atlantic

The Separation.--Deception Isle.--The Gulf of Penas.--Island of Chiloe.--Juan Fernandez.--Alexander Selkirk.--The Ladies of Lima.--The Peruvians.--Columbia.--Catching Wild Fowl.--The Two Oceans.--A Singular Funeral.--Magellan.--Guatemala.--Ladies Smoking.--Christian Indians.--California.--San Francisco.--Nootka Sound.--Story of Boone and the Bear.--Cleaveland and the Infant. --United States' Navy.--Cannibals.--Kamschatka.--Polynesia.--The Sandwich Islands.--Captain Cook.--Contest.--Adventure of Kapiolani.--A Delightful Anecdote.--Spanish Missionaries.--Philippine Islands.--The Pelew Islands.--Birds of Paradise.--The Friendly Islands.--Otaheite.--The Society Islanders.--Pitcairn's Islands. --Shocking Barbarity.--Nobb's Letter.--Marquesas.--The Low Islands.--New Caledonia.--New Zealand.--The Bay of Islands.--Captain Cook's Story.--A Curious Idea.--Aranghie.--Cannibalism.--New Holland.--Story of Mr. Meredith.--Australian Barbarism.--Australian Lakes.--Van Diemen's Land.--Coral Reefs.--Story of Kemba

Packing up.--Letter from Mr. Stanley.--Mr. Stanley.--Celebes.--Dress of the Alfoors.--Curious Hospitality.--Java.--Whimsical Superstition. --Productions of Java.--Sumatra.--Water Spouts.--Burman Despotism. --The White Elephant.--Sir James Brooke.--Borneo.--Isle of Bourbon.--Isle of France.--Madagascar.--The Four Spirits.--The Missionaries.--Horrible Custom.--The Pirates' Retreat.--Malagassy Fable.--Kerguelen's Land.--Isle of Desolation.--Story of a Sailor.--Morocco.--A Moorish Beauty.--Algiers.--Egypt.--Abyssinia. --Abyssinian Customs.--Religion.--African Coast.--Seychelle Isles.--Mozambique.--Smoking the Hubble-Bubble.--Caffraria.--Story of the Little Caffre.--Algoa Bay.--Graham's Town.--Cape of Good Hope.--Cape Town.--Constantia.--The Boschmen.--A Transformation. --Dressing in Skins.--The Slave Trade.--Fish Bay.--St. Helena. --Kabenda.--Black Jews.--Ferdinand Po.--The Ape and the Oven. --The Slave-Coast.--Dahomey.--Ashantee.--King Opocco.--A Singular Belief.--The Ashantee Wife.--Liberia.--A Bowchee Mother.--Sierra Leone.--The Lakes of Africa.--Bornou.--The Sultan of Bornou.--African Wedding.--The Deluge.--The Telescope.--The End

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,

It is not my purpose to detain you with a long preface, because I am aware that long prefaces are seldom read; but I wish to inform you that I have written this book, in the humble hope of being useful to those in whom I am so anxiously interested. I am myself happy in acknowledging the endearing appellation of "Mother," and I love _all_ children, and regard them as priceless treasures, entrusted to the care and guidance of parents and teachers; with whom it rests in a great measure to render them blessings to their fellow-creatures, and happy themselves, or contrariwise.

Should the perusal of this little volume imbue you with a taste for the beautiful and ennobling science of Geography, my object will be gained; and that such may be the result of these humble endeavors is the sincere wish of

Your affectionate Friend,

Oh ye seas and floods, Bless ye the Lord: Praise him, and magnify him forever.

"Oh! what beautiful weather," exclaimed George Wilton, as he drew his chair nearer the fire. "This sort of evenings is so suitable for story-telling, that I regret more than ever the disagreeable necessity which has taken Mr. Stanley to foreign countries, and broken up our delightful parties. But yet, there are enough of us remaining at home to form a society; we _might_ manage without him. Do not you remember, papa, you said, when Julia Manvers was with us last summer, we were to examine into the particulars respecting the seas and oceans of the world; and not once was the subject mentioned while we were at Herne Bay, although the sea was continually before us to remind us of it. Are we _ever_ to have any more of those conversations? I liked them amazingly, and I am sure I learned a great deal more geography by them than I ever did out of Goldsmith, or any other dry lesson-book, which compels one to learn by rule. I wish, dear papa, you would settle to have these meetings again; we would write down all the particulars, and enclose them in a letter to Mr. Stanley: I am sure he would be quite pleased."

"I think he would, George," replied Mr. Wilton, "and I also think that we have been rather careless in this matter; but, at the same time, you must remember that the fault does not rest solely with us, for when we appointed certain times during our sojourn at Herne Bay for these same geographical discussions, on every occasion something occurred to prevent the meeting, and all our arrangements fell to the ground. Since then, the illness of your sister,--which, thank God, has terminated so happily,--the departure of Mr. Stanley, and the removal to our present abode; all these circumstances conspired to render ineffectual any attempt at regularity, and precluded the possibility of an occasional quiet chat on this really important subject. The past, present, and future, in the history of man, are so connected with the positions of the great seas of the globe, and the navigation of them, that I _do_ regard the study of geography as one of the _most important_ branches of a Christian education; and, now that all impediments are removed, I think we may venture to propose the re-establishment of our little society; and as we are deprived of the valuable services of Mr. Stanley, we must endeavor to supply his place by procuring the aid of another _learned_ friend, who will not consider it derogatory to assist in our edifying amusement. And, in order to render these meetings more extensively beneficial and interesting, I further propose that we increase our number by admitting two new members, to be selected by you, my dear children, from amongst your juvenile acquaintances; but we must not admit any except on the original terms, which were, 'that each member add his or her mite of information to the general fund.' What says mamma about it? Suppose we put it to the vote?"

"Oh! dear papa," exclaimed Emma, "I am quite sure _that_ will be unnecessary. Grandy has often talked of the meetings held last year, and regretted that there seemed no disposition to renew them; therefore, we are sure of _her_ vote. Mamma was so useful with _her_ descriptions, that _she_ is not likely to object. Then you know, dear papa, how very much _I_ enjoyed these conversations; and, as far as any one else is concerned, I am convinced that _my_ candidate will be glad to prepare a portion of the subject as her admission fee, and will be as much interested in the welfare of the society as we old members are, who have already felt the advantages arising from it. May we decide now, papa?"

All hands were raised in reply, and the resolution carried unanimously.

"I have a question to ask," said George. "May we have the meetings twice during the month, instead of once, as before? It will induce us to be more industrious, as we shall be obliged to work to get up the information. I can share the labor with Emma now, because I can write easily, and quickly; besides, it will be such pleasant employment for the half-holidays."

"Very well, my dear," said Mr. Wilton; "then once a fortnight it shall be; and take care, as the time will be short, that you are thoroughly prepared: do not reckon on me, for I cannot assist you as Mr. Stanley did, so you must be, in a great measure, dependent upon your own resources. My library is at your disposal, and I hope you will have sufficient perseverance to investigate each point carefully, before you come to a decision. Should you require assistance in the preparation of any particular part of the subject, of course, I shall have no objections to render it; but remember, I do not promise to be an active member, as I wish you to exert yourselves, and be in some degree independent. It will thus be more advantageous to you: it will not only impress all you learn effectually on your mind, but improve your reasoning faculties, and enable you to understand much that the most careful explanation might fail to render intelligible."

"And when shall we begin, papa?" asked Emma.

MR. WILTON. "My engagements until the 7th of February are so numerous as to preclude the possibility of my presence at a meeting before that time; but after the 7th inst. I shall be more at liberty, and we will, if you please, commence our voyage, and (wind and weather permitting) travel on regularly and perseveringly until we have circumnavigated the globe."

"Agreed! agreed!" merrily shouted the children.

"I know which of my friends I shall ask," said George; "and I fancy I can guess who will be Emma's new member."

"I fancy you cannot," returned Emma: "I do not intend to tell any one, either, until I hear whether or not she can come; therefore check your inquisitiveness, Master George, and wait patiently, for you will not know before the 7th, when I will introduce my friend."

"Now," said Grandy, "having settled the most important part of the business, I have a few words to say. You must all be aware, that in the accounts of seas and oceans, there cannot possibly be so much time disposed of in descriptive facts as there was in our former conversations concerning the rivers of the world, which are so numerous, and require so many minute particulars in tracing their courses, that they positively (although occupying a smaller portion of the globe,) take more time to sail over in our ship 'The Research,' than the boundless ocean, which occupies two thirds of our world; it will, under these circumstances, be advisable to illustrate our subject largely, and to lose no opportunity of extending it for our benefit. We need not fear to exhaust the topic; for do not the vast waters encompass the globe; and can we contemplate these great works of our Creator, without having our hearts filled with wonder and admiration? This, my children, will lead us to the right source; to the Author of all the wonders contained in 'heaven and earth, and in the waters under the earth;' and, if we possess any gratitude, our hearts will be raised in thankfulness to Him who 'hath done all things well;' and we shall bless him for giving us powers of discernment and reasoning faculties, which not only enable us to see and appreciate the goodness of God, but also, by his grace assisting us, to turn our knowledge to advantage for our temporal and eternal good."

"We may now," said Mr. Wilton, "leave these resolutions to be acted upon at a proper time; and, as we have two hours' leisure before supper, if you, dear mother, will tell us one of your sweet stories of real life, it will be both a pleasant and profitable way of passing the evening. We have all employment for our fingers, and can work while we listen; George and I with our pencils, and you ladies with your sewing and knitting."

GRANDY. "Well, what must it be? Something nautical, I suppose; for as we are about to set sail in a few days, it will be appropriate, will it not?"

GEORGE. "Oh yes! dear Grandy, a nautical story, if you please."

#Story of Frederic Hamilton#

"The first time I saw Frederic Hamilton was on board the 'Neptune,' outward bound for Jamaica: he was then a lad of twelve or fourteen years: I cannot be sure which; but I remember he was tall for his age, and extremely good looking.

"There were so many circumstances during the voyage, which brought me in contact with this boy, and so many occasions to arouse my sympathies in his behalf, (for he was evidently in delicate health, and unfit for laborious work.) that in a short time I became deeply interested concerning him, and I determined as soon as I had recovered from sea-sickness, to watch for an opportunity of inquiring into the particulars of his earlier history.

"I must first tell you, before proceeding with the story of my hero, that the captain of the 'Neptune' was a very harsh, cruel man, and made every one on board his vessel as uncomfortable as he could by his violent temper, and ungentlemanly conduct. I was the only lady-passenger; and had it not been for the kindness of my fellow-travellers, I scarcely think I could have survived all the terrors of that dreadful voyage. The sailors, without one dissentient voice, declared they had never sailed with such a master, and wished they had known a trifle of the rough side of his character before they engaged with him, and then he would have had to seek long enough to make up a crew, for not one of them would have shipped with him.' They even went so far as to say, that if at any time they could escape from the vessel, they would not hesitate a moment, but would get away, and leave the captain to work the ship by himself. I could not take part with the captain, because I saw too much of his tyranny to entertain a particle of respect for him, and I confess I was not in the least surprised at the language of the ill-used sailors. He had no good feature in his character that I could discover; for he was mean, vulgar, discontented, and brutal. He never encouraged the men in the performance of their duty, by kind expressions; on the contrary, he never addressed them on the most simple matter without oaths and imprecations, and oftentimes enforced his commands with a rope's end or his fist.

"We had yet other causes of discomfort besides these continual uproars. Contrary winds, constant gales, and violent storms, made our hearts fail from fear. We knew the captain could not expect _His_ blessing, whose laws he openly set at defiance; indeed, by his life and conversation, he proved that he 'cared for none of these things.'

"I believe he was a clever seaman: he had certainly had much experience, having been upwards of fifty times across the Atlantic: so that we felt at ease with regard to the _management_ of the ship. But we did not put our trust in the skill of the captain alone; for of what avail would that be if the Lord withheld his hand, and left us to perish? No! my dears, we saw that the captain never prayed, and we felt there was a greater necessity for us to be diligent in the duty; and daily, nay hourly, we entreated the forbearance and assistance of Almighty God to conduct us in safety to land.

"After a time, the men became very unmanageable; for they hated the captain: he treated them like slaves, and imposed upon them on every occasion; so that at length, goaded to desperation by his cruelty, they positively refused to handle a rope until he agreed to the terms they intended to propose.

"The captain, fierce as he was, felt it would be useless to contend with twenty angry men, and he knew the passengers would not befriend him: he therefore deemed it expedient to endeavor to conciliate them by promises he never intended to perform, and, after a few hours' confusion, all was again comparatively quiet.

"I could tell you much more about the quarrels and disturbances of which we unfortunate passengers had to be the passive witnesses, and which, accustomed as we were to them in the day-time, filled me with greater horror than I can describe, breaking upon the stillness of the night, when all was quiet but the troubled ocean, whose murmurs, instead of arousing, served to lull us into a deeper repose. Yes, often, when no other sound but the low splashing of the waves against the side of the ship was to be heard, and we were all either sleeping quietly, or thinking deeply of home and friends, loud cries and shouts would reach us, and, in an instant, we would all be gathered together to inquire into the cause of the disturbance. It was always the captain and some of the men fighting; and on one occasion, the battle was so close to us, actually in the cabin, between the captain and the steward, that I screamed aloud, and do not remember ever to have been so much alarmed.

"But as my principal object is to make you acquainted with Frederic Hamilton, and not with _my_ adventures, I will say no more about Captain Simmons, and his ship, than is necessary in the course of my tale.

"I was just getting over the unpleasant sensations of sea-sickness, when, one morning as I was dressing in my berth, a noise of scuffling on the quarter-deck, over my head, interrupted my operations. I laid my brush on the table, and listened. At first I could distinguish nothing, and, thinking it was the captain and a sailor disputing, I continued my toilet; when, suddenly, a piercing cry reached me, and I knew the voice to be Frederic's. At the same time the sound of heavy blows fell on my ear, and again I recognized his voice: he called out so loudly, that I heard him distinctly say, 'Oh, sir! have mercy. Pray, pray do not kill me! Oh, sir! think of my mother, and have pity upon me. I _will_ try to please you, sir; indeed, indeed, I will. Oh, mercy! mercy!' His cries became fainter and fainter, while the blows continued, accompanied occasionally by the gruff voice of the captain, until, my soul shrinking with horror, I could endure it no longer. I rushed out of my cabin, and there on the poop beheld a sight I can never forget. Poor Frederic was lashed to the shrouds with his hands above his head, which was then drooping on his shoulder; his back bare and bleeding. The brutal captain was standing by with a thick rope in his grasp, which, by the crimson stains upon it, sufficiently proved the vile purpose for which its services had just been required.