Bygone Church Life in Scotland Part 19

"An extremely interesting and useful contribution to historic literature."--_East Anglian Times._

"An attractive volume."--_Norfolk Chronicle._

"The volume is choicely ill.u.s.trated, and should attract readers far beyond the county of which it treats."--_Birmingham Daily Gazette._

"It is a readable and useful book."--_The Times._

The Doomed Ship; or, The Wreck in the Arctic Regions.

BY WILLIAM HURTON.

_Crown 8vo., Elegantly Bound, Gilt extra, 3s. 6d._

"There is no lack of adventures, and the writer has a matter-of-fact way of telling them."--_Spectator._

"'The Doomed Ship,' by William Hurton, is a spirited tale of adventures in the old style of sea-stories. Mr. Hurton seems to enter fully into the manliness of sea life."--_Idler._

"It is not surprising to learn that the Arctic boom has created a great demand for books of this cla.s.s, and that the volume before us in particular is selling rapidly. It is ent.i.tled 'The Doomed Ship, or the Wreck in the Arctic Regions.' By William Hurton. (London: William Andrews and Co., 5, Farringdon Avenue, E.C. Three Shillings and Sixpence). It is of general interest, but it is written in an attractive style, nicely printed, and handsomely bound. Brimful of adventures in the ice-bound regions of the North, it also gives a great deal of information which the reading public are taking a great interest in since Dr. Nansen's exploits have been brought before the world. The story is told in the form of a narrative by the nephew of the captain of the 'good barque Lady Emily, chartered from Hull to Tromso, in Holland.' The vessel sailed on a Friday--an unlucky day in the eyes of superst.i.tious sailors, and which to their minds accounted for the dire experiences which afterwards befell the vessel and the crew. The vessel was laden with coals and salt, and, after leaving Tromso, was to proceed to St. Petersburg to ship timber and deals for the return voyage. She had twenty-two hands, and at Tromso took on board a pa.s.senger for Copenhagen, in the person of a young Danish lady, Oriana Neilsen by name. Chepini, an Italian lad, in revenge for being flogged by the captain's orders, so manipulated the compa.s.s that the ship was taken hopelessly out of her course. Chepini is hung up to the yard arm. The vessel is at the time surrounded by icebergs, a gale springs up, and she is forced on to one of the bergs and remains fast by the bow, while a mutiny occurs among the crew, which is not quelled till the mutineers are killed, as well as the captain and cook. Oriana plays a n.o.ble part in the affair, and the nephew of the captain and she take command of the remainder of the crew, now consisting only of "Blackbird Jim" and an Irishman and a Scotchman. As the ship's bows were stove in, and it was evident that whenever she cleared the iceberg she would go down, the longboat was cleared away, and all the provisions and other necessaries put into it. The survivors landed on an ice-bound sh.o.r.e, and the story of their adventures, discoveries, and subsequent rescue does not contain a dull page. Oriana is the heroine throughout, and the late captain's nephew of course falls in love with her. When they return to civilisation the couple are, of course, married, and they, also of course, live happily ever afterwards. All the same, the development of this state of affairs comes naturally enough in the narrative, which is, as we have already indicated, full of interest."--_Eastern Morning News._

"The interesting story ends in a satisfactory manner."--_Dundee Advertiser._