The adventures of Robert and Louis

By Gaetano Failla

On the long journey by sea from England to Australia, the two childhood friends Robert and Louis come across a series of unexpected events that will lead them to explore different islands in the Atlantic Ocean to discover hidden mysteries. Always faced with a choice, will the two friends be able to reach Australia?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781471029134

Book preview

The adventures of Robert and Louis

                                            Index

4       List of departing ships

8       Departure

14 The island of the three castles

31 The Guanches

40 Sweet memories in the Stevenson family

45 A difficult choice

61 The Battle of the Pirates

66      Another adventure on the horizon

103     The journey continues

117     The return

121    Maps of the islands

List of ships of the Highland and island emigration society that departed from the United Kingdom and headed for Australia from 26 January 1852 to 25 July 1857 (there are no departures recorded in the year 1856).

Mangerton, from Liverpool to Melbourne, 26 January 1852, 10 passengers.

Borneuf, from Liverpool to Geelong, 26 May 1852, 20 passengers.

Araminta, from Liverpool to Geelong, 20 June 1852, 191 passengers.

Medina, from Liverpool to South Australia, June 25, 1852, 5 passengers.

Georgian, from Glasgow to Port Philip, 13 June 1852, 372 passengers.

Ontario, from Liverpool to Sydney, August 3, 1852, 306 passengers.

Ticonderoga, from Liverpool to Port Phillip, 4 August 1852, 44 passengers.

Marmion, from Liverpool to Moreton Bay, 28 August 1852, 215 passengers.

Allison, from Liverpool to Melbourne, September 13, 1852, 292 passengers.

Priscilla, from Liverpool to Victoria, 13 October 1852, 298 passengers.

Arabian, from Liverpool to Victoria, 27 October 1852, 54 passengers.

Thames, from Liverpool to Melbourne, 3 November 1852, 4 passengers.

Hercules, from Campbeltown to Victoria, November 26, 1852, 758 passengers.

British Queen, from Liverpool to Victoria, 8 January 1853, 10 passengers.

Panama, from Liverpool to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) January 8, 1853, 37 passengers.

Bloomer, from Liverpool to Sydney, 29 March 1853, 12 passengers.

New Zealander, from Liverpool to Portland Bay, 23 august 1853, 359 passengers.

Sir Allan Mcnab, from Liverpool to Hobart Town, 28 October 1853, 150 passengers

Utopia, from Liverpool to Portland Bay, November 3, 1853, 102 passengers.

Derry Castle, from Liverpool to Portland Bay, 1 January 1854, 41 passengers.

Arabian, from Liverpool to Portland Bay, January 3, 1854, 36 passengers.

Arabian, from Liverpool to Portland Bay, June 3, 1854, 213 passengers.

Edward Johnstone, from Liverpool to Portland Bay, 17 June 1854, 356 passengers.

Hornet, from Liverpool to Geelong, 29 July 1854, 292 passengers.

James Fernie, fromLiverpool to Adelaide, 18 August 1854, 93 passengers.

Derry Castle, from Liverpool to Portland Bay, 1 October 1854, 101 passengers.

Switzerland, from Liverpool to Adelaide, 16 June 1855, 160 passengers.

Royal Albert, from Plymouth to Adelaide, 15 August 1855, 184 passengers.

Persian, from Liverpool to Hobart Town (Tasmania) 25 July 1857, 201 passengers.

Departure

  Robert and Louis looked at each other in amazement and without peace of mind for the deep agricultural crisis that had hit Scotland in the mid-nineteenth century. Strength they had enough, especially for two resolute and willing young men like them, but around the country there was only desolation.

    The Highland and Island Emigration Society was founded with the aim of promoting and assisting the emigration to Australia for the good and willing people who wanted to make a better life. The long journey took place through several boats that departed from Liverpool with destination the New Continent.

  Robert and Louis were determined for this new adventure, they had no family and now nothing more to lose. Their arms would have been of good use for agriculture in Australia.

  They were assigned to the ship called Utopia, departing on November 3, 1853 with about one hundred and two passengers on board, all full of hope during the long sea voyage that awaited them.

  From Edinburgh to Liverpool the two young men arrived with great excitement and curiosity to see the ship Utopia, which would be in their company for a long time and would ferry them to the New Continent.

‘How many meals will they give us per day? ’  Robert asked his friend.

‘I thought it was more luxurious, ’replied the other sarcastically as soon as he saw the ship.

‘What did you expect? I have heard that some of the previous boats had not even  arrived at their destination. A poor old man crying said he did not receive any letters and news from the children who had left.’

  Robert and Louis had few things with them, just the essentials, also because the famine had not left much for them.

As soon as they got into Utopia what they found was horrible. A gruesome and sad scene. Sleeping rooms were cramped, in each compartment went twenty people with serious problems of space and breathability. A little girl with her mother swore to have seen mice wandering around the ship and in the dormitories.

  The departure was set in the afternoon, meanwhile Robert and Louis looked at the long expanse of sea and thought what could bring their journey and their new future to the destination of the new world.

  After an exhausting wait the ship left Liverpool for the long journey.

  The first night was very bad: the two friends did not sleep because of the rough sea and the loud snoring of Mr. Russell and Mr. Smith.

  But even the weather did not help, in fact there was like a heavy rain throughout the day and Louis preferred to soak in water rather than stay in the dormitories.

  Breakfast was skipped for an unexpected event and the long-awaited lunch was a miserable plate of beans and a piece of bread, but no one dared to ask for more because of a flavor that actually had no flavor at all.

  The second night was worse than the first, with the company of the dormitory where Robert and Louis were staying that evidently had not well digested the beans, in fact there was an unbearable smell.

  In the following days the weather improved, so that Utopia went full sails and at full speed. But the first trouble was around the corner, in fact it was heard the first cases of typhus and cholera, but the captain in order not to alarm the one hundred and two guests of Utopia said that everything was under control and that instead the sick were already before getting on board.

  Captain Harry was an expert on boats and long journeys. His members obeyed him without breathing and his duty was to make the journey appear as reassuring as possible, despite so many difficulties. But he also had a deep knowledge of the sea and its unexpected events.

  After few weeks the captain himself announced the death of the first passenger. The ship's doctor said he was sick before the trip, of course no one believed him. Another one followed the following week.

Utopia's first stop was in Portugal for the supply of living. Here half gave up the journey. However, a Portuguese determined to do anything to go to Australia got into the ship. Robert and Louis soon became friends with the Portuguese, and although they spoke different languages, the two Scots were able to understand it well even with gestures.

  When Utopia departed from Portugal, there were fewer than forty passengers left.

  Captain Harry and the others were basically satisfied if there was fewer people for easy-to-understand reasons: less people meant larger housing and plenty of food. In fact, the journey continued with fewer unforeseen events.

  The two Scots and the Portuguese spent their days playing cards. During one night Louis could not sleep, so one night from a distance he glimpsed a light in the immensity of the ocean. Robert woke up.