od ship sound and free,
The hollow oak our palace is,
Our heritage the sea."

It is now some twenty years ago, that the goodly ship Washington,
commanded by Mr Erskine, left the port of New York, on a trading voyage
to the East Indian archipelago. With a select few good seamen, the
owners had also placed on board some youths of their own families and
immediate connections.

Having passed through the Straits of Magellan in safety, they were then
on their way to Canton, where the young men were to be settled; and
meanwhile the ship was to visit any of the isles in the Pacific Ocean
that lay in their path. After some little delay on the part of the
captain among the numerous groups of isles, the purpose of the voyage
was frustrated by the events narrated in the volume. The extreme beauty
of the wild loveliness of nature that these islets exhibited, tempted
the young men, accompanied by Mr Frazer, one of the officers, to land
on one that presented great charms of scenery, as well as having a
convenient and easily accessible landing-place, and from that point the
narrative commences.

It is not necessary for the elucidation of the narrative, to name more
of the crew than those whose adventures are hereafter related by one of
the party. The names of these castaways were John Browne, the son of a
Glasgow merchant; William Morton, and Maximilian Adeler, of New York;
Richard Archer, from Connecticut, the journalist; John Livingstone, from
Massachusetts; Arthur Hamilton, whose parents had settled at Tahiti; and
to them was joined Eiulo, prince of Tewa, in the South-Seas.

The narrative commences from the time of the party landing, and although
in some parts prolix and unequal, being evidently from an unpractised
hand, it bears all the characteristics of a boyish mind, and thus to a
certain extent confirms its genuineness. The sayings and doings of the
young adventurers are recorded with the minuteness that to older heads
seems tedious. This disposition to dwell upon, and to attach importance
to things comparatively trivial, is peculiar to the youthful mind, and
marks that period of freshness, joyousness, and inexperience, when every
thing is new, and possesses the power to surprise and to interest.

What became of the ship and crew we are not informed; but we may
conclude, that insubordination would lead to neglect and carelessness,
and that the vessel was wrecked and plundered by the native; and the
wretched crew