Blackie & Son’s New Publications. 13

 

BY JOHN C. HUTCHESON.

THE WRECK OF THE NANCY BELL;

Or, Cast Away on Kerguelen Land. By Joun C. Hutcuzson,
author of ‘ Picked up at Sea,” &c. Illustrated by 6 full-page
Pictures in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth extra, 3s. 6d.

This is a book for boys after a boy’s own heart, for it has the savour and
spirit of the sea inevery page. The story narrates the eventful voyage of a
vessel on her way from the port of London to New Zealand, and the haps
and mishaps that befell her—the contrary winds in the Chops of the
Channel, the calms when in the Doldrums off the African coast—culminat-
ing in the wreck of the ill-fated Nancy Bell on Kerguelen Land. There is
no lack of incident. From the opening chapter, with the cowardly steward’s
alarm of ‘‘a ghost in the cabin” to the end of the story, which details the
rescue of the shipwrecked passengers, one engrossing narrative holds the °
attention of the reader, until he reaches the final page that tells in an
almost poetic vein ‘‘the last of the old ship.” The characters, also, are full
of interest; jolly old Captain Dinks and the quaint brave Irish mate
M‘Carthy, winsome Kate Meldrum and the hero Frank Harness, down to
the mischievous imp Maurice Negus, and the eccentric Mr. Zachariah
Lathrope, and Snowball the negro cook, who need only to be known to be
appreciated. ‘The Wreck of the Nancy Bell” has all the elements of a
popular and favourite story.

PICKED UP AT SEA:

Or the Gold Miners of Minturne Creek, and other Stories. By
Joun C. Hurcurson. With 6 full-page Pictures in tints.
In crown 8vo, cloth extra, 3s. 6d.

The story of a young English lad, rescued in mid Atlantic from a watery
grave, and taken out west by a party of gold diggers to the wild regions of
the Black Hills in Dakota. Here, after warring with the elements during
months of unceasing toil in their search for the riches of the earth, and
having the result of their indefatigable labour well-nigh torn from their
grasp when on the verge of victory by a desperate onslaught of Sioux
braves, success at last rewards the efforts of the adventurous band and
their protégé. The tale abounds in exciting scenes and stirring incidents
—all tending to show that pluck and perseverance when allied to a good
cause invariably win in the long run all the world over.

“This is the first appearance of the author as a writer of books for boys, and the
success is so marked that it may well encourage him to further efforts, The descrip-
tion of mining life in the Far-west is true and accurate.”—Standard.

“A story of thrilling adventure which seems to combine every essential quality
of a present-book for boys.”—Morning Advertiser.

“A capital book; full of startling incident, clever dialogue, admirable descriptions
of sky and water in all their aspects, and plenty of fun.”—SkeMield Independent.