
audiobook
by William Henry Giles Kingston
Chapter One. - Neil D’Arcy’s Life at Sea. - My Ancestors—Larry Harrigan, and my Early Education—Choice of a Profession—First Start in Life.
Chapter Two. - Don the True Blue—Romance of the Sea—Larry and his Wife.
Chapter Three. - Lieutenant O’Flaherty—My Ship and Shipmates—The Pilot’s Boat—Results of Drunkenness—My First Command.
Chapter Four. - Myers the Smuggler—I Learn to Play the Fiddle—Smell Gunpowder—Action with a Lugger—Left in the Lurch.
Chapter Five. - Expedition on Shore—The Informer’s Fate—The Smugglers Cave—Jack Stretcher—The Smuggler’s Revenge—Our Dreadful Position.
Chapter Six. - We get out of the Pit—Jack Stretcher’s Adventure—Search for Myers—Hanks’ Advice—Lose our Ship in a Fog—Minute-Guns Heard.
Chapter Seven. - Fall in with a Wreck—Dreadful Scene on Board—Mr Marlow and his Daughter—Alice Marlow’s Account of the Voyage—Bring the Ship into Harbour.
Chapter Eight. - Alice at Daisy Cottage—A Boat’s Crew Capsized—Pick up Dicky Sharpe—Our Friendship Commenced.
Chapter Nine. - A Chase—A Prize—Capture a French Smuggler—Our Prisoner’s Politeness—Do not Trust a Greek, even when Polite.
Chapter Ten. - The Tables Turned—Console Myself with the Fiddle—Set the Frenchmen Dancing—Captain Didot—My Place of Imprisonment—Escape—Greater Danger—Frighten my Friends.
From his first breath the sea was more than a backdrop—it was a constant companion. Orphaned early, the young Neil finds solace and guidance in Larry Harrigan, the one‑armed but indomitable butler who teaches him the art of knots, rigging, and rowing long before he ever sets foot on a naval deck. Their indoor lessons turn a simple model ship into a masterclass, while outings on the bay give Neil the confidence to swim, sail, and survive the water’s caprice. The blend of hard‑won skill and the lingering memory of his mother’s prayers shapes a boy who feels the ocean is his true home.
Now poised to join the Royal Navy as a midshipman, Neil carries his mentor’s teachings into the wider world of ship‑board life. The narrative follows his first months of training, the camaraderie of fellow sailors, and the awe of witnessing vast horizons for the first time. Listeners will be drawn into the sights, sounds, and relentless rhythm of a life at sea, feeling the promise of adventure that lies just beyond the horizon.
Language
en
Duration
~10 hours (578K 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.

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.
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