James Braithwaite, Supercargo

This volume contains The Supercargo by W. H. G. Kingston, a sea adventure tale set during naval warfare. The narrative follows an unnamed supercargo (cargo officer) hired by merchants Garrard, Janrin and Company, who must locate and board the merchant ship Barbara at Spithead during preparations for convoy departure. The opening chapters depict Portsmouth's harbor in wartime: naval vessels being fitted out, press-gangs recruiting sailors, and merchant ships crowding the waterways. The protagonist, accompanied by a one-legged boatman, navigates the chaotic harbor to locate his ship among numerous vessels. The story promises encounters involving maritime combat, shipwreck, pirates, mutiny, and warfare at sea—themes characteristic of Kingston's boys' adventure fiction. The narrative is illustrated throughout and originally appeared serially in Leisure Hour and Boy's Own Paper.