Project Gutenberg's James Braithwaite, the Supercargo, by W.H.G. Kingston

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Title: James Braithwaite, the Supercargo
The Story of his Adventures Ashore and Afloat

Author: W.H.G. Kingston

Illustrator: T.C. Dugdale

Release Date: May 8, 2007 [EBook #21386]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JAMES BRAITHWAITE, THE SUPERCARGO ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

James Braithwaite, the Supercargo; The Story of his Adventures Ashore
and Afloat, by W.H.G. Kingston.

________________________________________________________________________

This is a typical Kingston book, very skilfully written, with lots of
difficult situations very well described. But what is worth remembering
is that it is probably the last book Kingston ever wrote, for he had
already been diagnosed with a rapid and terminal illness, which I
suppose to have been cancer. Yet, despite the position that redoubtable
author found himself in, he still gave us one of his very best
well-written adventure stories.

A supercargo is a position in the ship's crew analogous to the ship's
clerk. His work consists of knowing exactly where every item of the
cargo is stowed, so that it can be put in the right place for it to be
most conveniently taken out on its arrival at its destination.

Do read it and judge for yourself. You will find it worth the short
seven hours it takes to read aloud.

________________________________________________________________________

JAMES BRAITHWAITE, THE SUPERCARGO; THE STORY OF HIS ADVENTURES ASHORE
AND AFLOAT, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON.

CHAPTER ONE.

IN SEARCH OF THE "BARBARA."

"What's the name of the craft you want to get aboard, sir?" asked old
Bob, the one-legged boatman, whose wherry I had hired to carry me out to
Spithead.

"The _Barbara_," I answered, trying to look more at my ease than I felt;
for the old fellow, besides having but one leg, had a black patch over
the place where his right eye should have been, while his left arm was
partially crippled; and his crew consisted of a mite of a boy whose
activity and intelligence could scarcely make up for his want of size