CHAPTER ONE.

"Mind what you're doing! Come down directly, you young dog! Ah, I
thought as much. There, doctor: a job for you."

It was on board the great steamer _Chusan_, outward bound from the port
of London for Rockhampton, Moreton Bay, and Sydney, by the north route,
with a heavy cargo of assorted goods such as are wanted in the far south
Colonies, and some fifty passengers, for the most part returning from a
visit to the Old Country.

"Visit" is a very elastic word--it may mean long or short. In Carey
Cranford's case it was expressed by the former, for it had lasted ten
years, during which he had been left by his father with one of his
uncles in London, so that he might have the full advantage of an English
education before joining his parents in their adopted land.

It had been a delightful voyage, with pleasant fellow-passengers and
everything new and exciting, to the strong, well-grown, healthy lad, who
had enjoyed the Mediterranean; revelled in the glowing heat of the Red
Sea, where he had begun to be the regular companion of the young doctor
who had charge of the passengers and crew; stared at that great
cinder-heap Aden, and later on sniffed at the sweet breezes from
Ceylon's Isle.

Here the captain good-humouredly repeated what he had said more than
once during the voyage: "Now look out, young fellow; if you're not back
in time I shall sail without you:" for wherever the great steamer put in
the boy hurried ashore with the doctor to see all he could of the
country, and came back at the last minute growling at the stay being so
short.

It was horrible, he said, when they touched at Colombo not to be able to
go and see what the country was like.

He repeated his words at Singapore; so did the captain, but with this
addition:

"Only one more port to stop at, and then I shall have you off my hands."

"But shan't we stop at Java or any of the beautiful islands?"

"Not if I can help it, my lad," said the captain. "Beautiful islands
indeed! Only wish I could clear some of 'em off the map."

So Carey Cranford, eager to see everything that was to be seen, had to
content himself with telescopic views of the glorious isles scattered
along the vessel's course, closing the glass again and again with an
ejaculation signifying his disgust.

"Islands!" he said. "I believe, doctor, half of them are only clouds.
I say, I wish the captain wouldn't go so fast."

"Why?" said his companion, an eager-look