| Miss Hannah Whitney is the youngest child--and only daughter--of a Quaker family of Nantucket, Massachusetts. She's on her way to Charleston, South Carolina, where her brother Hosea has opened a branch of the family mercantile. She plans to help her sister-in-law when the new baby comes. Hannah's on board a ship out of Boston that is stopped and boarded by men from a British frigate, the HMS Dissuade . The captain impresses British deserters, as well as two Americans, to fill the empty slots in his crew caused by an attack by a French war ship. The captain doesn't sail away, however, until he gets a sharp dressing down from an angry Hannah. Hiding his amusement, he warns the Americans to watch out for the French, and then sails away, allowing the American vessel to continue on. But the Yankees are not out of danger yet. Their ship is later attacked and sunk by the French, who didn't bother to identify their target as American neutrals in their war with the British. All are lost but Hannah, who survives thanks in part to her father for teaching her to swim, and a grate from the ship for her to float upon. She is alone in the sea. Some time later, a thirsty and badly sunburned Hannah comes around to face the stern captain of the Dissuade . It appears she has been rescued from the sea and is on her way to England. |