Hurricane Hurry

audiobook

Hurricane Hurry

by William Henry Giles Kingston

EN·~18 hours·27 chapters

Chapters

27 total
1

Chapter One. - My birth, parentage, and education.—Make the acquaintance of Tom Rockets.—Sent to sea on board the Folkstone cutter, Anno 1764.—Numerous voyages.—My friends and I appear on the quarter-deck of the Torbay, 74.—Join the Falcon.—My only duel.—Adventures in the West Indies.—The Carib war.—Boat capsized.—Fate of her crew.—Appointed to the Wolf.

32:53
2

Chapter Two. - Commencement of the American War of Independence.—Appointed to the Orpheus frigate.—Causes of the war.—Sail in company with the Chatham for Halifax, Nova Scotia.—Stormy passage in mid-winter.—Lose sight of Chatham.—Lose masts.—The captain keeps at it.—Rig jury-masts.—A succession of gales.—Get in at last.—Our captain gains great credit.

46:03
3

Chapter Three. - Halifax harbour.—Life in the backwoods.—Dangerous expedition through the ice.—Lord Shouldham’s fleet with Lord Howe’s army arrives.—Sail for Nantucket Roads.—Boston cannonaded.—Watering-party on shore.—Capture whaling sloop Ranger.—Cruise in her with Grampus and Tom Rockets.—Her skipper’s trick defeated.—Reach Halifax.—Ordered on board Chatham.—Sail for New York.—General Washington holds possession of the city.

52:56
4

Chapter Four. - The fleet at sea.—Troops landed.—All hope of peace abandoned.—Spies executed.—Boats sent to watch fire-ships.—Rejoin Orpheus.—Land masters of merchantmen.—Fall in with rebel regiment.—Attack fort on Sullivan’s Island.—Heavy loss.—Witness attack on Brooklyn.—Dreadful slaughter.—Run past batteries in East River.—Trying time.—Death of an old friend.—Ships cannonaded.

43:39
5

Chapter Five. - A bright morning and a dark day.—Attack on New York.—Mercer shows his sympathy with the Americans.—The battle rages.—Field of battle.—Assist a wounded American.—Fired at by our friends.—Another trip on shore.—Fall into the hands of Hessian troops.—Rescued by General Pigot.—Sent with despatches to Lord Howe.—My boat’s crew mutiny.—New York on fire.—Treatment of supposed incendiaries.—Remarks on the war.—The condemned spy.—Mercer pleads for him in vain.—His execution.

46:43
6

Chapter Six. - Once more at sea.—Drive a schooner on shore.—Blows up.—Mercer’s death.—Capture a sloop.—Sent away in her.—A gale.—Engagement with privateer.—Beat her off.—Sent to New York as commodore of prizes.—Jovial life on shore.—Ill conducted expeditions.

42:07
7

Chapter Seven. - My command ends.—At sea on board the Orpheus.—On a lee-shore.—Saved.—Sent up Providence River.—Threatened by fire-ships.—Employment of spies.—The old spy and his nephew.—Attacked by fire-ships.—Execution of the spies.—Sail on a cruise with other frigates.—Prizes taken.—A privateer escapes us in a gale.—Chase vessels on shore.—Exposed to heavy fire.—Narrow escape.—My young messmate wounded.

57:33
8

Chapter Eight. - Orpheus in Cape Cod harbour.—Sent on shore with flag of truce.—Polite reception.—Camp attacked.—A magistrate offers himself as a hostage.—Our captain’s magnanimity.—My dying messmate.—At sea.—Thirty rebel vessels captured.—Doubt whether this will induce the colonists to return to their allegiance.

31:23
9

Chapter Nine. - Recommended to Sir Peter Parker.—Join Chatham with Grampus and Tom Rockets—My messmate O’Driscoll.—Appointed to command Pigot tender.—Cruise with O’Driscoll.—Chase and capture a schooner.—Find two ladies on board.—New style of existence.—Discover skipper’s plot to re-take his vessel.—Madeline Carlyon and Mrs Tarleton.—Caught in a heavy gale.

44:23
10

Chapter Ten. - Gale continues.—My lady passengers.—My loyalty put to the test.—Reach Rhode Island.—Ordered to escort ladies to their destination.—Chased by a stranger.—Fearful dangers.—Run through a narrow passage.—Anchor.

26:13

Description

A young man named Hurricane Tempest is introduced in a bustling 18th‑century seaport, where his family’s careful expectations set the stage for an unlikely destiny. After a modest childhood filled with practical lessons on a river boat and a handful of school days, he is steered toward the sea by his brother‑in‑law, a pragmatic but well‑meaning uncle. The narrative paints vivid portraits of Bideford’s steep streets, its arched bridges, and the makeshift vessels that shaped his early love of sailing.

Soon Hurricane joins the crew of the cutter Folkstone, embarking on a series of voyages that will test his resolve and forge lasting friendships, especially with the scrappy Tom Rockets. Through clashes with rival ships, daring rescues, and the harsh rhythms of life aboard a warship, he discovers both the romance and the ruthlessness of naval service. The opening chapters balance humor and hardship, offering listeners a richly detailed glimpse of a world where ambition, sea‑spray, and youthful daring collide.

Collections

Browse all

Details

Language

en

Duration

~18 hours (1092K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

Release date

2007-05-15

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

William Henry Giles Kingston

William Henry Giles Kingston

1814–1880

Best known for lively sea stories and adventure tales, this Victorian writer helped shape generations of young readers' taste for travel, danger, and moral courage. His books drew on a life that stretched between London and Portugal, giving his fiction an outward-looking, international feel.

View all books

You may also like