Masterman Ready, or the Wreck of the Pacific

The Seagrave family are returning to New South Wales on board the Pacific when a storm strikes, wrecking the ship.^[1] The crew escape in a lifeboat leaving the passengers to their fate.^[2] The Seagrave family, together with their young black female servant Juno, and the veteran sailor Masterman Ready, are shipwrecked on a desert island.^[2] The family learn to survive many obstacles, helped by Ready's long experience of life as a seaman.^[2] The worse threat comes when a tribe of natives attacks the party, resulting in the death of Ready.^[1] Rescue comes when the captain of the Pacific, who the family thought had died in the storm, arrives in a schooner.^[1]

Masterman Ready was one of the first historical adventures written for young readers.^[3] It was written in response to the 1812 book The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss.^[3] As a sailor of long experience, Marryat was annoyed that Wyss had portrayed being shipwrecked as a romantic adventure^[1] and he disapproved of the ignorance regarding flora and fauna displayed by Wyss.^[4] The Seagrave family in Marryat's novel have to overcome many hazards, beginning with the initial storm which wrecks the ship and injures the passengers.^[1]

The book throughout has a strong moral and pious tone.^[5] It contains many long reminiscences of Ready's life at sea,^[2] in which thanks is given to God, and of the comfort to be found in the Bible.^[5] Likewise the family learn lessons on natural history and discover evidence for God's benevolence everywhere.^[2]