The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Adventure Of Elizabeth Morey, of New
York, by Louis Becke

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Title: The Adventure Of Elizabeth Morey, of New York
1901

Author: Louis Becke

Release Date: April 12, 2008 [EBook #25057]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Produced by David Widger

THE ADVENTURE OF ELIZABETH MOREY, OF NEW YORK

From "The Tapu Of Banderah and Other Stories"

By Louis Becke

C. Arthur Pearson Ltd.

1901

In the sea story of Australia, from the days of Captain Phillip in 1788,
to the end of the "fifties" in the present century, American ships and
seamen have no little part. First they came into the harbour of Sydney
Cove as traders carrying provisions for sale to the half-starved
settlers, then as whalers, and before another thirty years had passed,
the starry banner might be met with anywhere in the Pacific, from the
sterile shores of the Aleutian Islands to the coasts of New Zealand and
Tasmania.

Early one morning in October, 1804, the American ship _Union_ sailed in
through Sydney Heads, and dropped anchor in the Cove. She was last from
Tongatabu, the principal island of the Friendly Group. As soon as she
had been boarded by the naval officer in charge of the port, and her
papers examined, the master stated that he had had a very exciting
adventure with the Tongatabu natives, who had attempted to cut off the
ship, and that there was then on board a young woman named Elizabeth
Morey, whom he had rescued from captivity among the savages.

In a few minutes the young woman made her appearance in the main cabin,
and was introduced to the officer. Her age was about six-and-twenty,
and her manners "extremely engaging;" yet whilst she expressed her
willingness to tell the story of her adventures among the islanders, she
declined to say anything of her birth or parentage beyond the fact that
she was a native of New York, and some years previously had made her way
to the Cape of Good Hope.

Her extraordinary narrative was borne out in all details as far as her
rescue was concerned by the master of the _Union_, who, she said, had
treated