Published: A facsimile of the two-page manuscript was published shortly after RK's death in the Sydney Morning Herald for 25 January 1936.

Attribution: Family tradition; MS in possession of the Baldwin family (RK's Uncle Alfred, Aunt Louisa, cousin Stanley).

Text: Manuscript in Baldwin Papers, University of Sussex.

Notes: Said to have been written by the 8-year-old RK, i.e., at the end of 1873 or in 1874, while he was living at Lorne Lodge. RK is known to have stayed with the Baldwin family in Worcestershire in September 1872, when he was not yet 7 years old; perhaps there were other such visits.

Chap 1 The Murder

It was a dark starry night of[f] the goodwins and a small vessel heavily laden with a crew of five men was being tossed about by the foaming billows like a piece of cork it appeared as if it were drunk [one word illegible] for now it [one word illegible] one moment it was wallowing in a deep trought between two waves and the next it was on the crest of a gigantic billow there was one small sail up but it was torn to shreds the captain was drunk and there was no one at the helm. Get up you lazy lubber or I'll teach you said the captain William Briart administering a kick on the ribs to one of the crew who was sleeping. The man got up muttering an oath and sullenly set about his work but waiting for an unguarded moment when the captain was looking over board he came behind him and caught him by the legs and o aweful deed threw him overboard The captain sank rose again and clutched wildly in the air for something to catch hold of uttered a dispearing cry for help and was swept away by a large wave. Three times did the crew hear his cry for help amidst the aweful billows far astern it was a cry that if once heard was not likely to be forgotten. When it was silent a great grey gull came swooping down uttered a wild wail three times and flew away.