“Young Jarl Hansen, goaded by the mean and vicious Mate, Heinrich the Bull, jumps ship in South Australia and becomes a hunted person until the spirit wind, invoked by Nunganee, the Aboriginal, comes to his aid.”
“You shouldn’t have done that, boy,′ shouted the mate; ‘you don’t throw stew at me, boy. I’ll have you up the masts. Remember when you climbed the mast last time, your head spun and we had to bring you down?”
“Typical boys’ adventure story telling of a young Norwegian cabin boy, who decides to jump ship when his ship reaches Australia, and the adventures he has once there.”
″ After a further brush with the mate who tries to recapture him, he finds a home and a new life. Written in 1973, this is a typical boys’ adventure yarn.”
“The anchors went down with a splash and the anchor chains roared out and then the ship swung to the tide and the wind as she settled at her mooring, moving listlessly as though she was sick of the sea but didn’t quite know how to settle down on this quiet bay.”
“Old Nunganee noticed that the wind was rising. He felt it on his cheek and his cheek told him that it came from the northwest and that’s where trouble started with the wind. He knew the wind would swing and veer until the blustery southwester came.”
“Jarl heard the shout as his tired arms lifted and fell at his paddling, and his legs, starting to rub raw, gripped the wayward raft which he straddled. For a moment, he thought it was the cry of the seabirds that were stirring in the morning.”
“When Jarl went back on deck later, the big man from ashore was there. ‘Hullo, lad, you look a bit young to be on this ship. Do you speak English?’ ′ My mother was English. I am Norwegian.”