The Wanderers

The Wanderers, by W.H.G.
Kingston

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Title: The Wanderers Adventures in the Wilds of Trinidad and Orinoco
Author: W.H.G. Kingston
Illustrator: Perat (31 engravings, all badly signed)
Release Date: May 15, 2007 [EBook #21483]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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WANDERERS ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

The Wanderers
or Adventures in the Wilds of Trinidad and up the Orinoco

by W.H.G. Kingston
CHAPTER ONE.
OUR OLD HOME IN PENNSYLVANIA--REVERSE OF
FORTUNE--ARRIVAL IN TRINIDAD-- UNCLE PAUL AND
ARTHUR FOLLOW US--SETTLED ON AN ESTATE--SUSPECTED
OF HERESY--OUR MOTHER'S ILLNESS--DON ANTONIO'S
WARNING--OUR MOTHER'S DEATH--THE PRIEST'S
INDIGNATION--WE LEAVE HOME--ARTHUR'S NARROW
ESCAPE.
We lived very happily at the dear old home in the State of Pennsylvania,
where my sister Marian and I were born. Our father, Mr Dennis
Macnamara, who was a prosperous merchant, had settled there soon
after his marriage with our mother, and we had been brought up with
every comfort we could desire. Uncle Paul Netherclift, our mother's
brother, who was employed in our father's house of business, resided
with us; as did our cousin Arthur Tuffnel, who had lately come over
from England to find employment in the colony.
Our father was generally in good spirits, and never appeared to think
that a reverse of fortune could happen to him. One day, however, he
received a visit from a person who was closeted with him for some
hours. After the stranger had gone, he appeared suddenly to have
become an altered man, his vivacity and high spirits having completely
deserted him--while both Uncle Paul and Arthur looked unusually
grave; and young as I was, I could not help seeing that something
disastrous had happened. My fears were confirmed on overhearing a
conversation between my father and mother when they were not aware
that I was listening.
"We must start without delay. I must not allow this opportunity of
retrieving my fallen fortunes to pass by," I heard my father observe, as
he pointed to a paragraph in a newspaper which he held in his hand.
"The Spanish Government have passed an edict, permitting all
foreigners of the Roman Catholic religion to establish themselves in the

beautiful and fertile island of Trinidad, where they are to be protected
for five years from being pursued for debts incurred in the places they
have quitted. Now, if we can manage to get there in safety, my
creditors will be unable to touch me, and I shall soon have the means of
paying my debts and recovering the position I have lost."
"But, my dear husband, it would soon be discovered that we are not
Roman Catholics; and we should be placed in an embarrassing, if not in
a dangerous position, were we to do as you propose," observed my
mother in a tone of expostulation. "You would not, surely, have us
conform, even outwardly, to a religion in which we have no faith?"
"Depend on it, no questions will be asked, as it will be taken for
granted that all persons settling in the island belong to the ordinary
form of religion sanctioned by the Government," answered my father.
My mother sighed, for she saw that my father was wrong, and that,
blinded like Lot of old by his desire to obtain worldly advantages, he
was ready to sacrifice the religious principles he professed. I am
compelled, though with much pain, to write this.
It was settled that we should start at once for Baltimore, to embark on
board a vessel bound from that place to Trinidad. Uncle Paul and
Arthur were to remain behind to arrange my father's affairs, and to
follow us as soon as possible.
The only other person to whom my father made known his intentions,
was Timothy Nolan, who had come out with him from Old Ireland,
when quite a boy, as his servant.
"I must leave you behind, Tim; but you will easily find a far better
situation than mine, though I shall be sorry to lose you," said my father,
after telling him of his intentions.
"Shure your honour won't be after thinking that I would consent to lave
you, and the dear young lady and Master Guy, with no one at all at all
to take care of them," answered Tim. "It's myself would be miserable
entirely, if I did that same. It isn't the wages I'd be after asking, for to

make your honour doubt about the matter. The pleasure of serving