INTRODUCTION.

My dear boys:  “The Rover Boys on Land and Sea,” is a complete story in itself, but forms the seventh volume of the “Rover Boys Series for Young Americans.”

As I mentioned in a previous volume of this series, when I began this set of books I had in mind to write no more than three volumes, relating the adventures of Dick, Tom, and Sam Rover, at home, at school, and elsewhere.  But the publication of “The Rover Boys at School,” “The Rover Boys on the Ocean,” and “The Rover Boys in the Jungle,” immediately called for more stories of the same sort, so year after year I have followed with “The Rover Boys out West,” “The Rover Boys on the Great Lakes,” “The Rover Boys in the Mountains,” and now the volume before you, which relates the adventures of the three brothers, and some of their friends and enemies, on the sea and on a number of far away islands, where, for a time, all lead a sort of Robinson Crusoe life.

In writing this tale I had in mind not alone to please my young readers, but also to give them a fair picture of life on the ocean as it is to-day, in distinction to what it was years ago, and also to acquaint the boys and girls with some of the beauties of those mid-ocean lands which are generally, so strange to all of us.  The boys see much that is new, novel, and pleasing—­new fruits, new flowers, new animals—­and have often to use their wits to the utmost, to get themselves out of serious difficulty and also to make themselves, and those under their protection, comfortable.

Once again I thank my young friends for the interest they have shown in my previous stories.  I trust that all who peruse this volume will find it equally to their liking.

Affectionately and sincerely yours, Arthur M. Winfield.

THE ROVER BOYS ON LAND AND SEA

CHAPTER I

THE ROVER BOYS IN SAN FRANCISCO

“Well, Dick, here we are in San Francisco at last.”

“Yes, Tom, and what a fine large city it is.”

“We’ll have to take care, or we’ll get lost,” came from a third boy, the youngest of the party.

“Just listen to Sam!” cried Tom Rover.  “Get lost!  As if we weren’t in the habit of taking care of ourselves.”

“Sam is joking,” came from Dick Rover.  “Still we might get lost here as well as in New York or any other large city.”

“Boston is the place to get lost in,” said Tom Rover.  “Got streets that curve in all directions.  But let us go on.  Where is the hotel?”

“I’m sure I don’t know,” came from Sam Rover.

“Cab! carriage! coupe!” bawled a cabman standing near.  “Take you anywhere you want to go, gents.”

“How much to take the three of us to the Oakland House?”

“Take you there for a dollar, trunks and all.”