The Two Supercargoes

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The Two Supercargoes, by W.H.G. Kingston

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Two Supercargoes, by W.H.G. Kingston This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Two Supercargoes Adventures in Savage Africa
Author: W.H.G. Kingston
Illustrator: E.F. Skinner
Release Date: May 16, 2007 [EBook #21490]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TWO SUPERCARGOES ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

The Two Supercargoes; Adventures in Savage Africa, by W.H.G. Kingston.
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This is rather a standard Kingston book, with adventures this time shore-based in Africa, which, at the time of the story, the early nineteenth century, was largely unknown. The two young men sail as supercargoes, a post which at that time existed, but which later was to be known a ship's clerk. The job of a supercargo was to be in charge of where in the vessel each item of cargo was stored, so that on arrival at its destination it could be quickly and easily found. Of course in those days, as fifty years ago, items of cargo were individual small objects, sometimes stowed on pallets, but mostly in casks. A pallet or a cask would be an individual item.
It wasn't very easy to read this text due to a slightly heavy typeface, so there may be a few errors, but not, we hope, over the 99.95% odds.
Probably best for that reason as an audiobook.
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THE TWO SUPERCARGOES, ADVENTURES IN SAVAGE AFRICA, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON.
Adventures in Savage Africa.
CHAPTER ONE.
THE OFFICE OF FRANK, TRUNNION & SWAB--HARRY BRACEWELL REPORTS THE ARRIVAL OF THE "ARROW"--HISTORY OF NICHOLAS SWAB--THE SLAVE TRADE--OUR FIRM GIVES UP ALL CONNECTION WITH IT--CAPTAIN RODERICK TRUNNION-- SOMETHING ABOUT MYSELF AND FRIENDS--INTERVIEW BETWEEN MR. TRUNNION AND GODFREY MAGOR, MATE OF THE "ARROW"--AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL--A STRANGE ACCUSATION--SUSPICIONS OF CAPTAIN TRUNNION--MRS. BRACEWELL AND HER DAUGHTER MARY.
"The `Arrow' has come in, sir, from the Coast of Africa, under charge of Mr Godfrey Magor, the second mate," I heard Harry Bracewell, one of our shipping clerks, say, as I was seated on a high stool, pen in hand, leaning over my desk in the office of Messrs. Crank, Trunnion & Swab, general merchants, of Liverpool Harry addressed the senior partner, Mr Peter Crank, who had just then stepped out of his private room with a bundle of papers in his hand into the counting-house, where I, with a dozen other clerks, senior and junior, were driving our quills as fast as we could move them over the paper, or adding up columns of figures, or making calculations, as the case might be.
As I turned my head slightly, I could see both Mr Crank and Harry. They afforded a strange contrast. Harry was tall, well-built, had a handsome countenance, with a pleasant expression which betokened his real character, for he was as kind, honest, and generous a young fellow as ever lived--the only son of his mother, the widow of a naval officer killed in action. She had come to Liverpool for the sake of giving a home to Harry, who had been for some time in the employment of the firm. The difference between Mr Crank and Harry was indeed most conspicuous in their personal appearance. Whereas Harry was tall, Mr Crank was short and stout; he had a bald head, shining as if it had been carefully polished, a round face, with a florid complexion, and a nose which was allowed by his warmest friends to be a snub; but he had a good mouth, bright blue eyes, often twinkling with humour, which seemed to look through and through those he addressed, while his brow exhibited a considerable amount of intellect. Had not he possessed that, he would not have been at the head of the firm of Crank, Trunnion & Swab.
"Brought home, did you say, by Godfrey Magor? What has happened to Captain Rig and the first mate?"
"Both died from fever while up the Nunn, as did all hands except himself and three others. So Mr Magor told me; and the survivors were all so weak, that he could not have brought the vessel home had he not shipped six Kroomen. He had also a narrow escape from pirates, who actually boarded his vessel, when a man-of-war heaving in sight, they made off without plundering her or killing any one."
"Bless my heart! I'm sorry to hear about Captain Rig's death. The poor man remained longer up the river than he should have done, no doubt about that I have over and over again charged the masters of our vessels to be careful in that respect, but they won't attend to what I say. Let me see! that makes