The Pirate Island
A Story of the South Pacific
By Harry Collingwood
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A very exciting story. It starts with a severe gale on the Essex coast
of England. A rescue is effected, as a result of which one of the local
fishermen generously adopts an orphan boy they find on the sinking ship.
Years later a number of young people set out on a return voyage by sea
to Australia. On the return voyage there is a disastrous fire on board
their ship, the Galatea, as a result of which they and the crew take to
the boats.
They are rescued by a vessel that turns out to be a pirate ship, the
captain of which takes them to his island, where he has a number of
ships of various kinds that he has captured. Discovering that one of
his prisoners has designed and built his own fast-sailing yacht, the
pirate commands the people to build him a new fast ship, which they set
about doing, and succeed in doing so.
Just as the ship is completed two of the party find, in a well-written
episode, that there is a major reef of gold on the island. However
they press on with plans to escape, which involves making off with the
new fast ship they have just completed.
Just as they are departing there is an earthquake, leading to a volcanic
eruption in the island. This results in the death of their pursuers.
Putting two and two together it is realised that one of the people in
this story, who had originally been the boy adopted at the very start of
the book, is the lost child of the uncle of another of the passengers.
The uncle has been miserable ever since the loss of his wife and child,
though he did not know from what ship, and where, they had been lost.
There is a perfectly good reason for this. Needless to say, it all ends
happily, with various marriages, and with the intention of getting back
to the Pirate Island, to see if it has survived the eruption, and if so,
if the gold can be mined.
It makes a very good audiobook, that is very gripping, especially at the
point where the original discovery of the gold is made.
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THE PIRATE ISLAND
A STORY OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC