Heroes of Pioneering; True Stories of the Intrepid Bravery and Stirring Adventures of Pioneers with Uncivilized Man, Wild Beasts, and the Forces of Nature, in All Parts of the World (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 edition. Excerpt: ...He was then placed in charge of the roads of the interior, under the Quartermaster-General, an employment which gave him plenty of riding, an exercise in which he took delight, and compelled him, as he writes, " to be as nearly ' ubiquitous ' as possible." In August, 1830, Skinner was dispatched by the Governor to the Eastern Archipelago on a special service, and visited Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and Java, where he had, at Batavia, a conference with the GovernorGeneral, by whom he was courteously treated. On the 3rd of January, 1831, he embarked for his return, and soon after leaving Batavia the vessel ran on a reef of rocks and narrowly escaped total loss. She was ultimately got off by the use of the boats, anchors, and cables, after being lightened by throwing overboard the guns and many other articles, as also a whole menagerie of tigers, apes, monkeys, and birds, collected in Java by the medical oflicer. Colombo was reached at the end of March. In October Skinner was parted for a time from his staunch friend the Governor, as Sir Edward Barnes had been appointed Commander-in-Chief in India. The new ruler of Ceylon, Sir Robert Wilmot Horton, Bart., became a great friend of the young oflicer. In 1832 his roadmaking was resumed in opening a highway from Aripo, the pearl-fishery centre on the north-wester n coast, to an almost unknown district of the interior. On a journey of exploration, Skinner found there extensive ruins of temples and tanks, and a rather dense population, instead of the mountainous waste represented on the maps of the period. He first laid down on paper the forty-seven miles of jungle-path, assisted in survey by another oflicer, who began his work at the other end. They worked towards each...