The following work has for its main purpose to be of use to children and the friends of children. For the first however, it is not all children for which it can pretend to be adapted, but only such as...

It is well known that a Swiss, Counsellor Horner of Zurich, sailed some years ago round the world on board a Russian vessel, the Podesta, commanded by Captain Kreusenstern. They discovered a number of...

… Already the tempest had continued six terrible days, and far from subsiding on the seventh, its fury seemed to increase. We had wandered so materially from the right track, and were so forcibly driv...

… Already the tempest had continued six terrible days, and far from subsiding on the seventh, its fury seemed to increase. We had wandered so materially from the right track, and were so forcibly driv...

By break of day we were all awake and alert, for hope as well as grief, is unfriendly to lengthened slumbers. When we had finished our morning prayer, I said, We now, my best beloved, with the assista...

I was awaked at the first dawn of day by the crowing of the cocks. I awoke my wife, and we consulted together as to our occupation for the day. We both agreed, that the thing of the most importance wa...

My poor boy now began to complain heavily of fatigue; the bundle of sugarcanes galled his shoulders, and he was obliged to move it from place to place. At last, he stopped to take breath. No, cried he...

I broke a silence of some moments, with observing to my wife, that I could not conquer my alarm at the view of so many cares and such a variety of exertions to be made! In the first place, a journey t...

Early the next morning, though it was scarcely light enough to distinguish the coast, I was already on the deck of the vessel, endeavouring to have a sight of the beloved inhabitants of the tent throu...

You pretend, said my wife with a little malicious smile, to be curious about my history, and for all that, you have not let me speak a single word in all this time; but the longer a torrent is pent up...

When my wife and I were awake next morning, we resumed the question of our change of abode. I observed to her, that it was a matter of great difficulty, and required mature consideration; otherwise we...

As soon as we were all up and had breakfasted, the next morning, I assembled all the members of my family together, to take with them a solemn farewell of this our first place of reception from the ho...

Our repast being ended, I observed to my wife, that I did not think it would be possible for us to sleep that night in the tree, and that we should therefore be obliged to lie on the ground. I however...

I had thought it necessary to keep watch during this first night, for the protection of my family. Every leaf that stirred, gave me the apprehension that it was the approach of a jackall or a tiger, w...

On awaking in the morning, we were all sensible of an unusual refreshment, and a new activity of mind. Well, young ones, cried I jocosely, you have learned, I see, how to sleep in a hammock, I heard n...

Jack had finished the trial of his arrows: they flew to admiration; and he practised his new art incessantly. Little Francis waited with impatience for the moment when he should do the same, and follo...

Conversing on different subjects, we reached the long chain of rocks, over which our pretty Falcon Stream made its escape in the form of a cascade, whose gentle murmurs delighted the ear, as much as i...

I had remarked the evening before, on our return to the seashore, a quantity of wood, of which I thought I could make a kind of conveyance for our cask of butter and other provisions from Tent-House t...

As soon as Ernest and I had dined, we prepared for our departure. Fritz presented each with one of the best cases of his own workmanship, which we stuck through our belts, and which, in reality, were ...

I rose with the first crowing of the cock, before the rest of the family was awake, descended the ladder, and employed myself in carefully skinning the kangaroo, so as not to deface its beautiful mous...

I rose with the first crowing of the cock, before the rest of the family was awake, descended the ladder, and employed myself in carefully skinning the kangaroo, so as not to deface its beautiful mous...

The wind was in a humour favourable to our undertaking, and briskly swelled our sail; the sea was calm, and we advanced without fear at a considerable rate. Fritz had been looking steadfastly for some...

I rose before day to go to the seaside and inspect our two vessels. My family did not hear me depart, and I was unwilling to disturb their balmy sleep, that sweet restorative of strength, so requisite...

I waked the boys very early, reminding them that I had promised to teach them a new trade. What is it? What is it? exclaimed they all at once, springing suddenly out of bed and hurrying on their cloth...

From the time of discovering the pinnace, my desire of returning to the vessel grew every moment more and more irresistible: but one thing I saw was absolutely necessary, which was to collect all my h...

Neither our voyages to the wreck, nor the laboriousness of our occupations at Tent-House had made us forget the regular observance of our duties on the sabbath-day, which now again occurred the day af...

It is scarcely necessary to relate, that my first thought the next morning, was to fetch the sledge from the wood. I had a double motive for leaving it there, which I had refrained from explaining to ...

On the following day, neither my wife nor the boys left me a moment’s tranquillity till I had put my manufactory of candles in some forwardness: I therefore set myself to recollect all I had read on t...

On entering our new plantation of fruit-trees forming the avenue to Falcon’s Stream, we observed that they had not a vigorous appearance, and that they inclined to curve a little in the stalk: we ther...

The following morning found us all in good health, and thankful for the Divine protection we had enjoyed. We breakfasted on some milk from the cow, some boiled potatoes, and a small portion of Dutch c...

My wife the next morning began the conversation. She told me the children had been good and diligent, that all of them had ascended Cape Disappointment together, that they had gathered wood and made s...

We commenced early the next day a business which we had long determined to engage in: it was to plant bamboos close to all the young trees, to support them effectually in their growth. We quitted our ...

Next morning almost before dawn all were up and in motion; the bees had returned to their cells, and I stopped the passages with clay, leaving only a sufficient aperture for the tube of my pipe. I the...

We were scarcely up one morning, and had got to work in putting the last hand to our winding staircase, when we heard at a distance two strange peculiar kind of voices, that resembled the howlings of ...

Francis for a short time was highly amused with his sword-leaves, and then like all children, who are soon tired of their toys, he grew weary of them, and they were thrown aside. Fritz picked up some ...

I can hardly describe our joy when, after many tedious and gloomy weeks of rain, the sky began to brighten, the sun to dart its benign rays on the humid earth, the winds to be lulled, and the state of...

The lucky discovery of a previously-existing cavern in the rock, had, as must be supposed, considerably lessened our labour: excavation was no longer requisite: I had more room than was wanted for the...

The arrangement of our grotto went on, sometimes as a principal, sometimes as an intermediate occupation, according to the greater or less importance of other concerns: but though we advanced thus wit...

The trees that I had chosen for the construction of my farm were for the most part one foot in diameter; their growth was tolerably regular in the form of a parallelogram with its longest side to the ...

Our Arcadia being entirely completed, what remained to be done was to fix on a tree fit for my project of a boat. After much search, I at length found one of prodigious size, and in most respects suit...

I have presented the public, and in particular the sons of families, with the part I had in my possession of the journal of the Swiss pastor, who, with his family, were shipwrecked on a desert island....

See the Introduction. ↩ Flamingo is a species of bird between the web-footed genus and the waders; it takes its name from the singular colour of its plumage, being of a bright flame-coloured red. This...