AustLit

Three men, a doctor, a prospector and a sailor, have all been the victims of misfortune. The doctor learns of Roncador Reef, rich in pearl shell, from his servant, a Solomon Islander who was abandoned on the reef by a labour recruiting ship. The three men purchase a ship and set out to seek their fortunes.

Becke describes a leisurely journey up the coast of N.S.W., which he undertakes while recovering from malaria. At Camden Haven he meets a young boy who is the son of a man who knew Becke when he was a child. The boy asks if he can accompany him. They discover a patch of black sand containing gold and begin to mine it, but have to hide their activities from two rival fossickers. When Becke meets up with a stockman who was a childhood friend the three of them set out on a prospecting expedition which proves more than satisfactory.

Two trading ships collecting shark fins battle over the same bay.

The crew of a labour recruiting ship foils a plan to steal their 'recruits'.

While walking from Macleay River Heads to Port Macquarie, Becke makes a detour to visit an abandoned selection and meets a young woman alone in the bush. It is not until some time later that he learns her dramatic story.

A ship's captain offers an unemployed supercargo a business proposition to retrieve a cargo of sandalwood that has been hidden in a cave for thirty years. However, they are not the only ones seeking to retrieve the cargo.

The narrator joins a ship's captain and his daughter on an expedition to recover a lost cargo of pearls and pearlshell. They are accompanied by two treacherous crew members who embark on a murderous endeavour to steal the pearls.

Becke describes how he grew European vegetables in various locations in the Pacific.

Becke describes life in a prospecting camp.

The narrator relates the story of the hanging of two men in a remote area of the Far North Queensland coast.