After a shipwreck, the narrator, his wife, and four sons find themselves castaways on an uninhabited island. Retrieving what they can from the ship, they construct a life for themselves through their own resourcefulness—building a tree house, finding such foods as coconuts, sugarcane, honey, and potatoes, and securing themselves against danger. Adventure follows adventure as they explore the island, encounter wild birds and terrifying animals, plant crops, build sturdier shelters, and settle in for a long stay. W. H. G. Kingston translation.