In a New World

Two sixteen-year-old American friends choose to seek their fortune in Australia after surviving a shipwreck. Harry Vane has worked as a magician's assistant, while Jack Pendleton is a sailor willing to try a different livelihood. When Professor Hemmenway prepares to leave Melbourne, Harry decides to stay with Jack. Their shared savings and a loan give them a modest start, and their first practical decision is whether to remain in the city or head for the gold mines.

Horatio Alger's 1893 adventure novel follows youthful confidence into a country where earning money brings real risks. Along the way, Harry, Jack and their companion Obed Stackpole face the aftermath of encounters with bushrangers before reaching Bendigo under a police escort. Gold mining, uncertain finances and loyalty between friends give the story its direction. Readers interested in nineteenth-century adventure fiction will find a brisk tale of young people making plans, accepting help and trying to establish themselves far from home.