Peter Biddulph

The Story of an Australian Settler

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Pages: 71

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About this book

Born aboard a river barge, Peter Biddulph recalls a childhood spent gathering scraps from the mud of the Thames. His mother's lessons in reading, poetry and honesty stay with him after he becomes an orphan. When a gentleman loses a valuable ring by the river, Peter offers to search for it, and his ability to read brings an unexpected moment of recognition. William Henry Giles Kingston tells this children's adventure through Peter's own account of hardship and effort.

The story also turns to the practical demands of life at sea. A prolonged calm threatens the drinking water needed by the people and sheep aboard, until the narrator's son proposes using kettles to turn salt water into fresh. Faith, family responsibility and ingenuity shape these episodes. Readers interested in older stories of Australian settlement will find close attention to work, resourcefulness and the skills that help people face uncertainty.