The Loss of the Royal George

A beautifully written but short little book. The actual loss of the Royal George occurs in a few paragraphs in chapter four, but the whole of the rest of the book concerns a small child who had been brought on board the vessel by a lady presumed to be his aunt. The child survives the accident, but the lady he was with was drowned. The child was rescued, and was brought up by a crew-member, having a good career in the Royal Navy. In the last chapter his true parentage is discovered, and all is made well. According to Wikipedia: "William Henry Giles Kingston (28 February 1814 - 5 August 1880), writer of tales for boys, was born in London, but spent much of his youth in Oporto, where his father was a merchant. His first book, The Circassian Chief, appeared in 1844. His first book for boys, Peter the Whaler, was published in 1851, and had such success that he retired from business and devoted himself entirely to the production of this kind of literature, in which his popularity was deservedly great; and during 30 years he wrote upwards of 130 tales, including The Three Midshipmen (1862), The Three Lieutenants (1874), The Three Commanders (1875), The Three Admirals (1877), Digby Heathcote, etc. He also conducted various papers, including The Colonist, and Colonial Magazine and East India Review. He was also interested in emigration, volunteering, and various philanthropic schemes. For services in negotiating a commercial treaty with Portugal he received a Portuguese knighthood, and for his literary labours a Government pension."