Captain Mugford, or Our Salt and Fresh Water Tutors, by W.H.G. Kingston.
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This is not a long book, but it is an absolutely delightful one. The
Tregellins had owned a large old house on a headland in Cornwall. They
had not lived there for some time, and had left it in the care of Clump
and his wife Juno, West Indians, while the family lived in Bristol.
Tregellin senior decides that he will install some of his young
relatives there, in the care of the Clumps and two tutors, one of which,
Mr Clare, has to deal with their academic needs, and the other, Captain
Mugford, is to teach them watermanship. The date is early in the
nineteenth century.
There is also a brave and virtuous dog, Ugly. The boys' sailing,
swimming and rowing improve, and they rise to various challenges.
Eventually they all set off for a longer sailing and fishing expedition.
But it all goes pear-shaped, as the weather turns very nasty, and they
are marooned on a reef some way out to sea. Clare is not on this
expedition, but they need a way to alert him to where they are. It is
Ugly that saves the day.
They had been using an old wrecked brig, high ashore in the bay, as a
classroom, but unknown to them some smugglers have been using it as a
base as well. Open war breaks out, and things get nasty. Read the book
to find out what happens in the end.
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