It follows Kenneth Kilsyth, a young clerk in London, and his friend Gerald Hayes, as they embark on a series of adventures at sea, and on the island of Kilba.

Inviting his sole friend and fellow clerk, Gerald Hayes, to join him, he embarks on a journey of adventure.

Bridges, the quartermaster of the crew, survives long enough to help dispose of the bodies overboard and shows the lads how to rig a sail on to the wallowing freighter.

Under the influence of the North-East trade winds and the North Equatorial current, the Mumtaz eventually drifts over a coral reef and lodges on the leeward side.

The two men promise to reveal the location of the cache, in return for equal partnerships in the firm of Wilcox and Co in Auckland, who are sponsoring the search.