



Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England




The Three Commanders, by W.H.G. Kingston.

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This is the third in the tetralogy commencing "The Three Midshipmen" and
ending with "The Three Admirals," so the three principal characters will
have been familiar to Kingston's youthful readers.  As with the other
books it is a very good introduction to Naval life in the middle of the
nineteenth century, but there are other things we can learn from this
book, as well.

The action soon after the start moves to East Africa, where we see how
the anti-slave trade was pursued. The British were against slavery, but
the Portuguese, the Americans, the Arabs, and some of the East African
states were getting on with it whenever the British backs were turned.

Then we move to the Crimea, where we get a very good view of the naval
participation in that war.  If you want to know more about the Crimea,
you should definitely read this book.

Finally we move to the Pacific, to Sydney and to Hawaii.  Here again it
is interesting, particularly with regard to the volcanoes of the Hawaii
group of islands.

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THE THREE COMMANDERS, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON.



CHAPTER ONE.

MURRAY'S HIGHLAND HOME--A VISIT FROM ADMIRAL TRITON--ADAIR AND HIS
NEPHEW APPEAR--MURRAY APPOINTED TO THE OPAL, ADAIR FIRST LIEUTENANT--
PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE--ADMIRAL TRITON AND MRS DEBORAH INVITE MRS
MURRAY TO STAY AT SOUTHSEA--THE OPAL AND HER CREW--A POETICAL
LIEUTENANT--PARTING BETWEEN MISS ROGERS AND ADAIR--THE OPAL SAILS FOR
THE EAST COAST OF AFRICA.

Alick Murray had not over-praised the Highland home of which he had so
often spoken when far away across the wide ocean.  The house,
substantially built in a style suited to that clime, stood some way up
the side of a hill which rose abruptly from the waters of Loch Etive, on
the north side of which it was situated.  To the west the hills were
comparatively low, the shores alternately widening and contracting, and
projecting in numerous promontories.  The higher grounds were clothed
with heath and wood, while level spaces below were diversified by
cultivated fields.  To the east of the house, up the loch, the scenery
assumed a character much more striking and grand.  Far as the eye could
reach appeared a succession of lofty and barren mountains, rising sheer
out of the water,