Peter Biddulph, by W.H.G. Kingston.
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Peter's mother and father were barge people on the London river, the
Thames. But the father dies, and Peter and his mother are destitute.
She goes out to do cleaning etcetera, and Peter scavenges by the
river-side. The boys who did this used to be called mudlarks. Peter's
mother dies. One day a man called Mr Wells and his friends come by in
a boat, and cast money for the mudlarks to dive for. Unfortunately
Wells loses his valuable gold ring in doing this. He leaves his card
with Peter, who finds the ring, and returns it.
Struck with this honesty Wells gives the orphan and destitute boy a
home. Wells is a shipowner, and when Peter is fourteen he is given an
apprenticeship on one of his ships. Peter makes his way up till he is a
senior officer, but marries a girl in London, whose father owns one
small vessel, and when he is dying he makes the vessel and the goodwill
over to Peter. Wells's business fails, and with it go Peter's savings.
Peter and his wife and children have a sea-going life, but eventually
decide to settle in Australia. Arriving there they found it hard to
avoid the escaped convicts who are roaming the land and giving everybody
a hard time.
All these situations are well written, and you will enjoy the book.
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