In the days of Queen Elizabeth, nearly four hundred years ago, the
sailors of Spain, of England, of Holland, and of Portugal were all
making themselves famous for their daring voyages in small sailing
ships across unknown oceans, by which they kept discovering new lands
for their country in distant corners of the world.
There was one small cabin-boy on a coasting brig in the English
Channel who used to long to become one of these discoverers but when
he looked at the practical side of the question it seemed hopeless for
a poor little chap like him ever to hope to rise in the world beyond
his present hard life in a wretched little coaster, living on bad food
and getting, as a rule, more kicks than halfpence--but it shows you
how the poorest boy can get on if he only puts his back to it.
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