BIGGLES IN THE SOUTH SEAS
First Published in September 1940 - 255 pages
Biggles
bumps into Sandy Macaster, an old friend and
colleague from 266 Squadron in France, outside the Royal Aero Club in London.
Sandy has a tale to tell of finding thousands of oysters covering a shallow
part of the sea floor around one of the islands that are around Tahiti. Here he
hopes and expects to find a fortune in pearls. Sandy had been stranded on the
unknown island where he has been rescued by two native Marquesans
called Shell Breaker and Full Moon. Biggles agrees to finance an expedition on
the basis of a four way split and he and Sandy together with Algy and Ginger
set off. However, an evil Corsican named Louis Castanelli
also knows of the pearl bed as he was with Sandy at the time of the discovery
and had tried to kill him. Meeting Castanelli at Papeete Harbour in Tahiti, Biggles and Castanelli
cross swords. Biggles learns that Castanelli has
kidnapped Shell Breaker in order to discover the location of Sandy's island.
Later, Biggles leads a daring rescue attempt to free Shell Breaker and he takes
both Shell Breaker (a young man) and Full Moon (a young woman) with them.
Arriving at Sandy's Island things go well and a fortune in pearls are recovered
from the oysters. Sandy is attacked by a giant octopus that goes on to attack
their aircraft. The pearls are carefully buried in a safe place on the island.
Ginger, Shell Breaker and Full Moon discover an underground cave but are
trapped in it by the arrival of a Mako shark. The
weather turns as a hurricane looms and Biggles, Algy and Sandy are forced to
leave the island in order to fly their aircraft to safety, leaving behind the
others and in their haste, also the pearls. Ginger, Shell Breaker and Full Moon
escape the cave and have to survive the full force of the hurricane when it
hits the island. Their troubles are added to when Castanelli
and his crew arrive at the island. Ginger is captured trying to steal a small
boat moored by Castanelli's Schooner. Castanelli goes ashore and searches the debris of our
heroes' camp where he finds, to Ginger's dismay, that the hurricane has
uncovered the pearls! Castanelli decides to dispose
of Ginger by tying him to a metal bar and throwing him overboard to drown. Meanwhile,
Biggles has allied himself to the natives on the island of Rutuona
who have cause to hate Castanelli, having been
alerted by Shell Breaker and he tows their war canoe to Sandy's Island as
damage to the aircraft prevents it from flying. Ginger is saved from drowning
by Full Moon who has stayed on Sandy's Island and is able to cut him free.
Ginger and Full Moon take refuge in their hidden cave but they are spotted on
the way there and Castanelli tries to blow them out
with dynamite. Biggles and the native war canoe arrive and it is soon all over
as the natives make short work of Castanelli's crew. Castanelli tries to swim for it but meets the Mako shark. Castanelli's Schooner
is burnt out and the pearls are lost ........... or are they?
Click here to see the story illustrations from this book
Biggles in the South Seas
Publication Details - published by Oxford University Press
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail