The African Trader; Or, The Adventures of Harry Bayford
by William Henry Giles Kingston
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About This Book
William Kingston was a writer of tales for boys. His first book, The Circassian Chief, appeared in 1844. His first book for boys, Peter the Whaler, was published in 1851, and had such success that he retired from business and devoted himself entirely to writing and during 30 years he wrote upwards of 130 tales, including Digby Heathcote (1860), The Three Midshipmen (1862), The Three Lieutenants (1874), The Three Commanders (1875) and In the Rocky Mountains (1878). In addition to these novels he also wrote & editted several non fiction biographical tales of adventure and discovery of which Adve...
Chapters (17)
- W H G Kingston "The African Trader"
- Chapter One.
- My father, after meeting with a severe reverse of fortune, dies, and my sisters and I are left destitute.—Our faithful old black nurse Mammy, takes care of my sisters, while I, invited by a former acquaintance, Captain Willis of the “Chieftain,” sail with him on a trading voyage to the coast of Africa.
- Chapter Two.
- The “Chieftain” arrives off the coast of Africa, and we carry on a brisk trade with the natives, who come off to us through the surf.—At length Captain Willis proposes to run up the river Bonny to complete our cargo. Not forgetful of my promise to Mammy, I make inquiries for her son Cheebo.
- Chapter Three.
- We enter a river.—Its scenery described.—Receive a visit from the King, and trade with the natives.—The products of Africa, for which we trade, mentioned, and the curious mode in which trade is conducted.—Fever breaks out on board, and several of the crew die.—Sad end of poor Bob.—The boatswain and mates attacked with fever.—More deaths.—The Captain’s unwillingness, notwithstanding this, to leave the river till his cargo is completed.
- Chapter Four.
- More victims to the fever.—The captain himself attacked.—We ship some Krumen and other blacks, among whom is a Christian, Paul Balingo.—Paul instructs the captain and me in the truth.—Captain Willis gets somewhat better, and we prepare for sea.
- Chapter Five.
- We at length get out of the river into the open sea, but a calm comes on, and the Captain again becomes very ill.—No one on board understanding navigation, I doubt whether I shall find my way to Sierra Leone.—The Captain does not believe that he is in danger.—Paul pleads with him about the safety of his soul.—A fire breaks out in the hold.—We in vain endeavour to extinguish it.—The rest of the crew desert us.—Paul and I endeavour to save the Captain, but driven from the cabin by the flames leap overboard and reach a small boat, which we right and get into.—See a schooner approaching us.
- Chapter Six.
- A calm comes on, and we remain during the night suffering from hunger and thirst.—Paul tells me his history, and I find that he is Cheebo, of whom I am in search.—His joy at hearing of his mother makes him regardless of the suffering we are enduring—The schooner picks us up.—Paul suspects her character.—Before long we discover that she is a slaver, and she runs up a river to receive her cargo on board.
- Chapter Seven.
- I witness the embarkation of slaves collected at the barracoons, and the cruel way in which they are treated and packed in the hold of the slaver.—Unwilling to desert Paul, I remain on board, and the slaver puts to sea.—Paul is threatened for attempting to comfort the slaves with the gospel news.—The schooner receives more slaves on board along the coast.—Some are drowned coming off—The slaver gets on shore just as a man-of-war is seen in the offing.—A fog comes on, and the schooner’s crew making desperate efforts to get her off, she escapes, to my bitter disappointment, from the man-of-war’s boats, along the coast.
- Chapter Eight.
- The Spaniards believing the man-of-war to be far away, steer to the westward.—We sight her, and she chases us.—Cruel device of the slaver’s crew to assist their escape.—Paul, among others, being thrown overboard that the man-of-war might have to pick them up; I fear that he has been lost.—My life preserved by one of the officers, when threatened by the slaver’s crew.—The schooner escapes, but dismasted in a gale, and again overtaken.—Paul and my cousin Jack come on board, and I join the corvette as a midshipman.—Returning to England I restore Cheebo to his mother.—My adventures show that “all works together for good to them who love God.”—Jack becomes a commander, marries my sister Mary, and I find ample means for supporting the rest of my dear sisters.
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