The Shipwreck / A Story for the Young

E-text prepared by Al Haines
A Story for the Young
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.
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
The translator dedicates her part of this little volume.
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.