The Shipwreck

The Shipwreck

The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Shipwreck, by Joseph Spillman,
Translated by Mary Richards Gray
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Title: The Shipwreck A Story for the Young
Author: Joseph Spillman

Release Date: May 16, 2006 [eBook #18399]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
SHIPWRECK***
E-text prepared by Al Haines

THE SHIPWRECK
A Story for the Young

by
REV. JOSEPH SPILLMANN, S. J.
Translated from the German
Mary Richards Gray
Second Edition

St. Louis, Mo., and Freiburg, (Baden) Published by B. Herder, 1910.

TALES OF FOREIGN LANDS A Series of Stories for the Young
Edited by Rev. Joseph Spillmann, S. J. Vol. VII. The Shipwreck
Second Edition St. Louis, Mo., and Freiburg, (Baden) Published by B.
Herder, 1910. Copyright 1906 by Joseph Gummersbach.

CONTENTS.
Chapter.
I. Two Young Friends II. Sad Tidings III. Aboard the "St. George" IV.
With the Priest of the God of the Golden Fish V. In the City VI. The
Chinese New Year VII. The Unexpected Departure VIII. A Very Real
Danger IX. A New Plan X. The Hurricane XI. Stranded XII. At Last

To
ANN ELIZA SMYTHE OF CHICAGO
The translator dedicates her part of this little volume.

THE SHIPWRECK.
CHAPTER I.
Two Young Friends.
At the mouth of the great river of Canton lies a maze of islands large
and small, of which the most important is Hongkong on account of its
fine harbor. More than half a century ago the English seized upon this
island and forced the Chinese to cede it to them. Then it was little more
than a barren rock with a low swampy shore on which were a few
villages inhabited by poor fisher folk. The swamps have been drained,
gardens planted, and villas built, until now the once barren heights vie
in beauty with the grass-grown slopes of the hills at the foot of which in
the shade of great trees nestle pleasant little fisher hamlets. On the
north side of the island stands the capital city, Victoria, in which tier
above tier, stair-like the rows of houses and splendid buildings rise one
above another up the side of a hill. Beautiful quays, broad streets lined
with shade trees, churches, barracks, theaters, hospitals, hotels, and
shops with great show windows take one back in thought to the
European capitals; and as the elaborately decorated pagodas are not
near to the Christian churches, and, as there are not many more Chinese
than English people in the streets, one can almost forget that he is
within the confines of China and a tropical land.
In this great capital city nearly all the missionary societies of China
have settlements, and in each of the missionary seminaries the stranger
finds a hospitable welcome, but the one we like best of all to visit is the
beautiful College of the Holy Saviour in Mayland. It stands in the very
shadow of the cathedral, the tall spires of which, towering to the
heavens, tell us in which direction to turn our steps to find it. We know
full well that the door-keeper, the old Italian Brother with snow-white
hair and coal-black eyes, will greet us cordially, and show us the
garden and the grounds on which blonde-haired European boys play in
brotherly fashion with pig-tailed Chinese youths. When Brother
Onufrio--for this is the name of the door-keeper--is in very good humor
and has the time he tells us stories of his experiences in the College of

the Holy Saviour in which he has been in active service since its
foundation. One of these is the wonderful history of the small Irish lad,
Willy Brown, the son of a sea captain, and his friend, the Chinese
foundling, Joseph. We shall tell the tale just as Brother Onufrio would
tell it, beginning with the day in the first year of his residence in
Hongkong when the crosses were placed on the spires of the dome of
the cathedral.
* * * * * *
A few days before the Chinese New Year in 1858 the work on the
cathedral had progressed so far that the great golden crosses could be
erected. Securely fastened with strong ropes they lay at the foot of the
scaffolding ready to be drawn up into place, and standing about in a
half circle were missioners, pupils, and workmen. The Apostolic
Prefect, dressed in festal robes, and attended by the small acolytes,
Willy Brown and the Chinese Joseph, had blessed the crosses. Then at
a signal the workmen pulled