The old sea captain [by G. Mogridge]. - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1842 Excerpt: ... West Indies, to attend a religious meeting at St. Christopher's, or, as it is generally called, St. Kitt's; and, on Monday, the 27th, they embarked in the Maria mailboat on their return." "What do you mean by a mail-boat?" "A mail-boat is a boat, or small vessel, that carries the mail, that is, the letters. No sooner did they get aboard, than they retired to the berths. A bed for the children and nurses was spread on the cabin floor. Through the night, the wind blew hard, and the sea was rough; and when morning came, there was no going on deck, for the waves washed over the vessel. The pitching and rolling of the ship was enough to terrify those who were not used to the sea; the children grew sick, poor things! and the women thought the vessel would upset; and glad enough were they to hear a sailor sing out, ' Land! Antigua in sight!'" "Ay, they would be sure to pluck up their spirits then." "A little boy, a son of one of the missionaries, opened his hymn book, and read two or three verses from it, which were sung by the young people. Some of the children were younger than the boy, and they listened to him with attention, while he told them how God preserved Jonah." "Poor little fellow! he seemed to bear it all as well as any of them." "You may suppose that a sudden alarm was spread among them, when the steward came down hastily, and snatched up a lantern, giving no reply to those who asked him what was the matter. The women sprang out of their berths to their children, the ship fell right on her beam-ends, and over her came the sea, washing down into the cabin." "Now dangers are thickening upon them. We remember what is the meaning of a vessel being on her beam-ends." "A rush ...