The Cruise of the Midge (Vol. 1 of 2)

A restless young man, born in Ireland and schooled in Scotland, finds himself torn between the humdrum of a merchant’s counting‑house and the call of the open sea. After four years of apprenticeship in his uncle’s Liverpool firm, he has already logged voyages to the West Indies, Brazil, and the United States, but the lure of a new African cruise—trading ivory, gold dust, palm oil, and timber—still burns bright. He dreams of swapping ledgers for sails, convinced that a life of adventure suits his “harum‑scarum” spirit far better than the confines of a mahogany desk.

Determined to make that dream a reality, he devises a bold, reckless stunt to win his uncle’s reluctant permission. Smuggling cannon and fireworks into his family home, he stages a spectacular display that erupts during dinner, sending rockets and cannon blasts careening through the dining room. The chaos shocks his uncle into a frantic, startled reaction, and, amid the uproar, the young man’s audacious plan finally tips the scales, opening the way for his next daring voyage.