A Boy's Voyage Round the World

A father compiles his sixteen-year-old son's letters and diary into an extraordinary account of a two-year voyage around the world. The boy, recovering from a severe bout of inflammation of the lungs, is sent by sailing ship from England to Australia and back - a journey physicians believed would restore his health through sea air and adventure. What emerges is not merely a travel narrative but a portrait of youthful curiosity encountering the world in all its strangeness and wonder. From storms that test a ship's crew to the exotic shores of distant ports, the young traveler observes with an freshness that makes the familiar seem new again. Smiles' gentle editing preserves his son's voice - earnest, observant, occasionally awestruck - inviting readers to see 19th-century maritime life through eyes that have not yet learned to take anything for granted.