Quotes from Masterman Ready

“One wide water all around us, All above us one black sky.”

A brief quoted verse that sets the bleak, isolated mood of the opening storm at sea.

“The captain was a good navigator and seaman, and moreover a good man, of a cheerful, happy disposition, always making the best of everything, and when accidents did happen, always more inclined to laugh than to look grave.”

A balanced, cadenced sketch of character that shows the narrator's measured, gently humorous sentence construction.

“Sailors are never discouraged by danger as long as they have any chance of relieving themselves by their own exertions.”

A general observation that states a principle about seamen in plain, confident prose.

“I’ve always thought so, sir,” replied Ready; “and I dare say many a poor deserted sailor’s wife, when she has listened to the wind and rain in her lonely bed, has thought the same.”

Ready's dialogue turns a plain remark into a tender image of loneliness, showing the book's sympathy for those left ashore.

“Because among these islands the winds almost always blow one way; we landed on the windward side; the wind is at our back; now put up your finger, and you will feel it even among the trees.”

Ready's practical, instructive speech shows the book's didactic habit of teaching survival skills through homely explanation.

“Every man was to his post; everyone had a rope to haul upon, or a rope to let go; the boatswain piped, and in a few seconds every sail was set or taken in as was required. It seemed to me at first like magic.”

Crisp, orderly description of shipboard routine, with a narrator's admission of wonder that adds a personal note.

“You see, William, I was all in the wrong; and so will all boys be who think they know better than those who have charge of them; and now only see what I probably lost by my foolish conduct.”

A plainly moral reflection in a parent's voice, typical of the book's earnest instructive tone.

“You see, William, we must have some birds on the island; at least it is most probable, for all the seeds of these plants and trees must have been brought here by them. The banana and the pepper are the food of many birds.”

Reasoned natural-history inference delivered in a patient, explanatory voice that models curiosity for the young reader.

“Oh, father!” said William, “if that good old man is lost, I shall never forgive myself. Look, father, one - two - three sharks, here, close to us. He has no chance. See, he is again in deep water. God protect him!”

Quick, urgent dialogue with counted sharks and a short prayer shows the boy's fear and compassion in a few direct lines.

“Yes,” replied Mrs. Seagrave; “I feel the truth of all you have just said. We are in his hands; let us put our trust in him.”

A brief expression of faith that reflects the devout, providential outlook running through the narrative.

“The schooner now ran fast through the water, and the island was every minute less distinct; after a time, the land was below the horizon, and the tops of the cocoa-nut trees only to be seen; these gradually disappeared.”

A quiet, measured closing image in which the island slowly fades, using plain, precise diction to end the book.