Here is a sample of the registered novel: The Samary Shipwreck.
This submission is divided in four sporadic chapter samples of the book. You will find it very amusing and entertaining. The image is a sample not to be used as final product only to provide an idea of concept. Enjoy...
The
Samary
Shipwreck
Written By: Carlos F. Gonzalez
All Rights Reserved 2009.
Chapter I
How did we get here ?
"The following public statement if for the nations that we the people of the Republic of Samary have established commercial trading with. The origin of our home will be explained in this summary of events that allowed us to form as a country. It is my duty as Prime Minister of the island of Samary, to inform and describe the events that took place and by the grace of God had allowed us to be the most happy island in the South China Sea. It will narrate how my two best friends and myself survived the face of adversity and what our destiny had in place for us to do, and that, it is unknown to many".
I remember the European Botany Conference in the University of Madrid where I was invited to attend. There during the intermission of the second day of attendance, I was offered to teach Botanical Sciences at the University of Sidney in Australia. After analyzing the offer and what stood before me, I realized that this was the opportunity of a lifetime, so, before the conference had ended, I happily accepted the offer. The morning after the Conference had concluded, I rapidly made the transportation arrangements to reach Sidney.
After leaving my affairs in proper order, it was time to equip myself with the teaching tools that I needed imperatively in order to teach Agronomic Sciences. Given that the course that I was to teach, a series of devices will be needed to be able to understand the reasons of certain reactions of plants to climate and position on the globe. In my baggage, I included a Swiss built Compass, also, I had a Custom Built German Barometer engineered for optimum precision. Part of the articles that needed to come with me were my plant and herb guides and my very precious field book that had many important notes in it.
The time came for me to leave Madrid and travel by train all the way to Hong Kong, where I would charter a ship or a vessel to take me to my final destination. 16 days later after a long voyage, at last I arrived in the Port of Hong Kong. The Oriental Culture is so different than ours. The Chinese had mastered medicine in a a way that I would never had imagined. All was done through the usage of herbs. That made me feel even more confident about teaching my curriculum.
I spent 3 days gathering information about herbs and plants that may be useful for my classroom. Of course the language barrier was hard to pass, but fortunately, I found a local that was fluent in Spanish and Mandarin as well. He also was the one who helped me find the vessel that would transport me through the South China Sea.
The time had come and it was time to embark. On board there was a crew of 11 members and I was the sole passenger on the ship. Andulio Morricone was the name of the Commander of the ship. The Captain was to determine the shortest route to navigate in order to save time during the trip. He also calculated that we would be at sea for a period of two weeks if the atmospheric conditions allowed it. Being aware that the season of the year was prone to powerful Typhoons and that this area of the South China Sea is known for its' fierce winds, the Captain decides to cast full sail in order to shorten the trip to Sidney.
Captain Morricone plotted the following course: They were to navigate Southeast past the Phillipine Islands towards Papua New Guinea, where we would stop briefly for food and supplies. Once we were to leave Port Moresby, we were to continued our voyage passing Brisbane into Sidney the following week. All in all, we would spend Two or Two and One half weeks at sea, according to the calculations that the Captain had made.
On July 23rd 1829 we left the Port of Hong Kong at 04:30 hours taking advantage of the high tide. As noon time approached, we were already passing the strait that separates the Taiwan Islands and the Phillipines. During this time, the crew members worked in full motion finishing the preparations for such a long voyage. They had never been away from port for such an extended lapse of time and they were a bit nervous about being for far traveling through unknown waters....
Chapter III
Shark Attack !!!
Enrique-"Sir, I just felt something swim very fast between my legs !"
Melani-"Enrique raise your legs onto the raft !!!"
The three men raised their legs onto the raft just as the professor had indicated to do when they were able to see a fin cutting through the surface of the water. Trying to stabilize themselves as they stood, they grasped onto each other in order to not to be part of this strange creatures' meal.
Melani-"Men be careful and Do Not Fall, we are being attacked by a Bull Shark !!!"
Indeed, the Professor was not mistaken, a thirteen foot Bull Shark was eager to have the three sailors' for a feast. The boy panicked- "Mr.Melani, this is it! We will never live to tell the story !!!". The Professor didn't say a word. He studied the swimming pattern of the predator and encouraged the men to get whatever they could to use it as a weapon in order to retaliate the attack of the shark. The First Officer said: " Sir ! hand me the dagger that we found in the chest box and I will try to kill this evil fish !". So he grasped the dagger and dove into the water.
At this point, the waters were already clam for a few minutes. Momentarily, the entire situation seemed like a bad dream for the professor. The boy remained on top of the raft. After several minutes, Enrique had not emerged from the deep waters and the men started to worry about the fate of their friend.
Marco-"Dr. Melani, I think Enrique is dead !"
Melani-"Don't worry lad, Enrique is a well experienced Sailor and you'll see he'll be fine!"
Marco-"Yes Sir, but it has been more that five minutes and he has not come back!"
Melani-" I understand your concern, but me must have faith". Said Melani with a broken down voice.
A few more minutes passed by, and the waters remained calm. The two men had already lost the hope in seeing their friend again, when all of a sudden the boy saw a pool of blood emerging from the sea...
Chapter X
The Battle for Supremacy
The night of joy was over and our three "Robinsons" fell fast asleep under the stars of the South China Sea. For a strange reason, Mr. Melani and Enrique felt the night uneasy. At first, when they all fell fast asleep, the slept profundly, but lost that rest due to worries and feeling homesick. Again the thoughts of Enrique flew to his beloved Lisbon. He thought of his family and friends, the street he grew up in..."Oh my beloved Lisbon, if I would have known, I would never have left you"-thought the sailor in sadness.
The man wondered under the stars ans wept in silence. Mr. Melani felt accongoggated as well. He felt a good amount of stress and pressure on his shoulders. He had to ensure their survival given that he had a friend and a boy that depended on him. This was a true challenge indeed.
The Agronomic Professor also felt positive about the probability of a rescue attempt. According to his calculations, they had already spent approximately 36 days since the "Tiang Kan Ting" went under during the storm and their arrival to this isolated island. He kept on thinking about the wonderful moments and blessings that they had received, then out of that mix of emotions he gasped: "Oh Lord ! Give me the strength and wisdom to continue with this ordeal". Enrique heard his gasp and quietly asked:
Enrique-"Sir are you awake?"
Melani-"Yes Enrique, I cannot sleep"
Enrique-"I can't sleep either Sir, I just keep thinking if we will ever be rescued"
Melani-" I have the same worry my friend. I am hoping that the University of Sidney or Madrid would send a rescue vessel to our aid, given that we have been missing for close to two months".
Enrique-"Hopefully they will send a rescue ship".
Melani-"What we need to do Enrique is to finish this house and set a strong fence around it that will protect us. We truly don't know how long we will be here and time is passing by quickly. My plan is to finish everything that we have to do then build a boat to be able to explore the coasts of the island. We might find other necesarry articles washed ashore from the wreckage. It is also posible that this is a deserted island and we can take full possesion of it".
Enrique-"Only time will tell Sir, we must finish our establishment and explore what we have".
The two men continued to have their conversation in a low tone while the boy slept profoundly. Suddenly, they heard a loud crackling noise coming from the jungle followed by a tremendous scream...
Chapter XV
Cannibals !!!
The morning arrived and the three men had gathered their thoughts and coped with the idea that this was their new permanent home. That was their destiny. Diligently they stood up and located their cart with their findings. It was time to return home. that mission was completed.
Heading back to the "Flying Fortress", the men took a different route in hopes of finding or discovering any useful articles. While the Babirusas pulled the cart at a slow pace, the Botanist had the opportunity of examining the different varieties of plants newly seen by his eyes. Taking note of where these plants were located and the variety and scale of them, the Professor found what he desperately seeked. There is was...The "Arenga Sacarifera".
Melani-"Here it is !!! At Last I Found It !!!"
Enrique-"What did you find Sir?"
Melani-" Stop the cart Enrique, I must show both of you this miraculous plant !"
Enrique immediately stopped the animal from continuing their pace and Mr. Melani rushed towards the valuable plant followed by his companions. Melani felt at this moment as if he has struck gold, rubbing his hands one with another.
Melani-"Gentlemen let me introduce to you the well known 'Arenga Sacarifera' ".
Enrique-" Well Sir i know that you have been seeking this plant for quite a while, but what exactly can this plant do?"
Melani-"Let me explain...Exposing this plant to the sun and grinding it thinly once dried, the 'Arenga Sacarifera' is cultivated in remote villages as a substitute for wheat as I mentioned before. If the leaves and flowers are boiled, the result would be an excellent remedy against influenza, yellow fever, malaria and head pain. On the other hand, the fibers are so resistant enough that could be used in fabricating cloth, ropes and footwear. In fact, once boiled and dried, it can be used as a substitute for tobacco without the harmful effects that many respected Botanists believe that tobacco may have. If grinded and mixed with water, you may find a powerful ointment against skin infections. allergies and lacerations. To conclude Gentlemen, we have found a precious jewel in the form of a plant".
With that, the men made a hefty recollection of the plant and headed home with their much needed cargo. a few hours later, the three friends arrived to their home. By the time the three men returned to the cabin, sundown was on its' way. Mr. Melani took a vast amount of "Arenga Sacarifera" and hung them on the fence to be dried by the sun in the next few days. Marco on the other hand, fed the animals and prepared the meals for the men while Enrique continued to fabricate weapons for defense.
By the instructions of Mr.Melani, Enrique also grinded the "Borago Officinalis" and the "Hyssoppus Officinalis Libiatae" two very toxic and venomous plants that provoke convultions and fatalities once they enter the blood stream. The mixture of these two plants in the form o a paste was used to dip the darts of the blowguns in case of a surprise of unwanted guests.
The night fell and the three men enjoyed supper and talked about their experiences of the day, making jokes and planning what to do for the following morning. Eventually the three men fell asleep with the harmonious songs of the critters of the night. A few hours later the boy was abruptly awakened by the sounds of distant drumming...
Thank you for taking the time in reading these four chapter samples of the book: The Samary Shipwreck. This novel is an excellent educational tool that will keep the reader interested from beginning to end. It teaches about the importance of trust, friendship, education, bravery and hope through its' chapters. This novel is intended for the Junior High and High School English reading levels or grades 7th - 10th.
If interested in publishing this novel please do not hesitate in contacting me at:
or at:
Author:
Carlos F. Gonzalez
Carolina, Puerto Rico 00982
For legal matters you may contact:
Lcdo. Arot Velazquez
Santurce, Puerto Rico 00923
All rights reserved 2009-2010
