William Jackman, an English lad who runs away to sea at age eleven, endures violent mistreat by ship captains, is exploited by magistrates, and frequently sentenced to hard labor. Nothing could prepare him more for living in a hard cruel world than when he was shipwrecked & captured by a tribe of Australian cannibals. His determination for survival as a captive will hold the reader in suspense as you wonder how William can possibly endure in such circumstances. The reader will laugh, scratch their head in disbelief, and discover the wonder of how hardship, when faced appropriately, can develop a person's good character.