Sunk at Sea, by R.M. Ballantyne.
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This story starts with the childhood of one of Ballantyne's perpetual
heroes, Will Osten. Will would love to have a career at sea, but his
father, a very successful businessman, thinks otherwise, so eventually
Will agrees to study medicine. However, before his studies are over he
decides that he really _must_ go to sea, and he joins a friend of his,
Captain Dall, on his ship.
They travel to the Pacific, where they encounter some very heavy weather
as a result of which a plank is started in the ship's hull, and she
starts to sink. All attempts to find and stop the leak fail, and she
does indeed sink, with the crew taking to the boats.
Eventually they reach a small coral island, but they have not been there
long before a visiting native war-canoe perceives them and takes them to
another much larger island, where preparations are made to kill and eat
them. Luckily there is an old white man there who has long been
accepted by the natives and who gets our heroes and his friends off this
rather dire treatment, but was too late for some of the crew.
A visiting sandalwood trader, who does not wish to pay for the cargo he
has taken on board, fires on the natives, causing our heroes to flee for
their lives. A hunt is set up for them. Luckily a missionary ship
comes in a few days later, and manages to restore peace. Our heroes
return to the village. A mission is set up, and a small church,
complete with a spire, is built. Another vessel calls for water, and
would have opened fire, just for spite, but they see the spire and
restrain themselves. Our heroes persuade the captain to take them on
board. Will has fallen in love with the missionary's daughter, but
nevertheless joins the party leaving for the ship, the "Rover". For the
sequel see "Lost in the Forest".
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SUNK AT SEA, BY R.M. BALLANTYNE.