
THE CRUISE OF THE MIDGE
CHAPTER I. - A HAIRBREADTH ESCAPE.
CHAPTER II. - A VISION—THE DYING BUCANIER.
CHAPTER III. - SCENES IN HAVANNA.
CHAPTER IV. - A CRUISE IN THE MOUNTAINS——EL CAFETAL.
CHAPTER V. - THE MOSQUITO.
CHAPTER VI. - SPIRITING AWAY—WHERE IS THE BALLAHOO?
CHAPTER VII. - THE DEVIL'S GULLY.
CHAPTER VIII. - MY UNCLE.
CHAPTER IX. - OCCIDENTAL VAGARIES.
In this atmospheric sequel the narrator awakens from a drug‑induced stupor to a moonlit room filled with strange objects—a pine‑apple, an old seaman’s jacket, and a flickering candle. As feverish visions of a lost friend, the young midshipman Henry De Walden, drift through the night, the line between the living and the dead blurs, pulling the protagonist into a haunting dialogue with a spectral presence. The uneasy calm is shattered when a ship‑clad stranger bursts in, confronting the ghost and hinting at deeper mysteries aboard the eponymous vessel, the Midge.
The opening chapters weave together eerie encounters, daring escapes, and vivid travel sketches that transport listeners from crumbling Edinburgh lofts to exotic ports such as Havana and the mist‑shrouded Devil’s Gully. Through witty narration and rich Victorian detail, the story balances humor with a lingering sense of peril, inviting the audience to follow the crew’s quest for redemption and discovery. Listeners will find themselves drawn into a world where every creak of the ship’s timbers may conceal another secret waiting to surface.
Language
en
Duration
~11 hours (653K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Al Haines
Release date
2014-02-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1789–1835
Best known for the lively sea tale Tom Cringle's Log, this Scottish writer turned years in Jamaica and on Caribbean voyages into adventurous fiction with a strong autobiographical feel. His work helped bring the rhythms of travel, trade, and colonial life to nineteenth-century readers.
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