Adrift in the Pacific

ADRIFT IN THE PACIFIC by Jules Verne This seafaring adventure novel concerns fifteen boys stranded aboard the 100-ton schooner *Sleuth* in a violent Pacific storm in March 1860. With no adult crew remaining—only Moko, a young enslaved boy—the eldest boys including Briant (about fourteen), Gordon, Donagan, and his brother Jack attempt to navigate and repair the damaged vessel. As the mainmast has snapped and the foresail tears apart, Briant, who learned seamanship during a European voyage, leads efforts to keep the ship afloat and before the wind. The crew's quarters and crew have vanished under mysterious circumstances. The younger boys shelter below, terrified, while those on deck struggle against waves, manage the failing rigging, and discover water seeping into the saloon. The narrative details the technical challenges of storm seamanship as the ship drives toward unknown waters, with no captain, navigational knowledge of their position, or prospect of rescue.