The Roy til School Series The Royal Crown Indian Reader A Selection of Literary Extracts THOMAS NIELS ON AND SONS, Ltd. London, Edinburgh, and New York AT THIi KKKML1N. Napoleon watching the burning of Moscow. After the picture by Verestchagin. CONTENTS. The Italics indicate Poetical Pieces. 1. The Valley of Dia monds, ...... 2. Crusoes Cave, ... 3. Prisoner in Lilliput, 4. Life in Brobding nag, ...... 5. The Merchants Son, 6. Escape of Rob Roy, 7. A Combat in the Desert, ... ... 8. Silkworms, ... 9. About Icebergs, ... 10. A Lumber Camp, ... 11. Native Sports in Hawaii, ...... 12. The Land of the White Elephant, 13. The Overland Route, 14. Uses of Forests, ... 15. The Great Fire of London, ...... 16. The Siege of Gib raltar, 1782, ... 15 20 27 32 37 44 50 55 60 64 67 72 76 82 86 17. The Burning of Mos cow, 1812, ... 91 18. Humanity in War, 98 19. The Battle of Plassey, 103 20. The Krakatoa Erup tion, 110 21. Death of Pliny the Elder, 115 22. Escape from the Bastille, 119 23. Damascus, 130 24. Death of Socrates, 134 25. Sports, Agriculture, and Trade of the Middle Ages, ... 139 26. The King of the Crocodiles, ... 146 27. An Oriental Legend, 151 28. The Plate of Gold, 155 29. Elegy written n a Country Church yard ... .. 157 THE ROYAL CROWN INDIAN READER. I. THE VALLEY OF DIAMONDS. We went from island to island, and bartered out goods very profitably. One day we landed on an island which was covered with a variety of fruit trees, but so desert that we could not discover any habitation, or the trace of a human being. We walked in the meadows, and along the brooks that watered them and whilst some of my companions were amusing themselves with gathering fruits and flowers, I took out some of the wine and provisions I had brought with me, and seated myself by a little stream under some trees, which afforded a delightful shade. I made a good meal of what I had with me, and when I had satisfied my hunger, sleep gradually stole over my senses. I cannot say how long I slept but when I awoke the ship was no longer in view. I was much surprised at this circumstance, and rose to look for my companions but they were all gone, and I could only just descry the vessel in full sail, at such a distance that I oon lost sight of it. 8 The Valley of Diamonds. You may imagine what were my reflections when I found myself in this dismal state. I thought I should have died with grief. I groaned and shrieked aloud I beat my head, and threw myself on the ground, where I remained a long time, overwhelmed by a rushing current of thoughts, each more distress ing than the last. I reproached myself a thousand times for my folly in not being contented with my first voyage, which ought to have satisfied my crav ing for adventure but all my regrets were of no avail, and my repentance came too late. At length I resigned myself to the will of Heaven, and not knowing what would become of me, I ascended a high tree, from whence I looked on all sides, to try if I could not discover some object to inspire me with hope. Casting my eyes towards the sea, I could dis-, cern only water and sky but perceiving on the land side a white spot, I descended from the tree, and taking up the remainder of my provisions, I walked towards the object, which was so distant that at first I could not distinguish what it was. As I approached, I perceived it to be a ball of prodigious size and when I got near enough to touch it, I found it was soft. I walked round it to see if there was an opening, but could find none and the ball appeared so smooth that any attempt to climb it would have been fruitless. Its circumference might be a-bout fifty paces. The sun was then near setting the air grew suddenly dark, as if obscured by a thick cloud. I was surprised at this change, but how much did my The Valley of Diamonds. 9 amazement increase when I perceived it to be occa sioned by a bird of most extraordinary size, which was flying towards me...