BALLYSHANNON号在加勒比海岸外沉没了，船长和船员们都沉入了海底;船主们都倒下了，他们都是贪得无厌的人，被诱惑着想要赚钱。噢，擦干眼泪吧，因为他们已经投保了。除了船长、大副、船主和船员之外，其余的乘客也都淹死了，只有两个例外:一个是年轻的彼得·格雷，他为贝克·克鲁普公司品茶;另一个是萨默斯，他从东海岸进口靛蓝。这些乘客由于紧紧抓住桅杆，最后被抛到了一个荒岛上。他们像亚历山大·塞尔柯克过去那样四处寻找食物，但是他们不能在一起聊天，因为他们还没有互相介绍。因为彼得·格雷和萨默斯虽然确实是做生意的，但他们对自己结交的朋友也很讲究;不知怎的，他们就这样悄无声息地解决了这个问题——格雷占领北半部，萨默斯占领南半部。在彼得的那份上，生蚝长大了——这是一种罕见的美味，但生蚝是一种彼得无法忍受的美味。萨默斯这边是一只乌龟，在木板上厚厚的躺着，萨默斯不能吃，因为它总是让他生病。格雷看见一大群乌龟安然无恙地站在他同类的岸边，嫉妒得咬牙切齿。 The oysters at his feet aside impatiently he shoved, For turtle and his mother were the only things he loved. And SOMERS sighed in sorrow as he settled in the south, For the thought of PETER'S oysters brought the water to his mouth. He longed to lay him down upon the shelly bed, and stuff: He had often eaten oysters, but had never had enough. How they wished an introduction to each other they had had When on board the BALLYSHANNON! And it drove them nearly mad To think how very friendly with each other they might get, If it wasn't for the arbitrary rule of etiquette! One day, when out a-hunting for the MUS RIDICULUS, GRAY overheard his fellow-man soliloquizing thus: "I wonder how the playmates of my youth are getting on, M'CONNELL, S. B. WALTERS, PADDY BYLES, and ROBINSON?" These simple words made PETER as delighted as could be, Old chummies at the Charterhouse were ROBINSON and he! He walked straight up to SOMERS, then he turned extremely red, Hesitated, hummed and hawed a bit, then cleared his throat, and said: I beg your pardon - pray forgive me if I seem too bold, But you have breathed a name I knew familiarly of old. You spoke aloud of ROBINSON - I happened to be by. You know him?" "Yes, extremely well." "Allow me, so do I." It was enough: they felt they could more pleasantly get on, For (ah, the magic of the fact!) they each knew ROBINSON! And Mr. SOMERS' turtle was at PETER'S service quite, And Mr. SOMERS punished PETER'S oyster-beds all night. They soon became like brothers from community of wrongs: They wrote each other little odes and sang each other songs; They told each other anecdotes disparaging their wives; On several occasions, too, they saved each other's lives. They felt quite melancholy when they parted for the night, And got up in the morning soon as ever it was light; Each other's pleasant company they reckoned so upon, And all because it happened that they both knew ROBINSON! They lived for many years on that inhospitable shore, And day by day they learned to love each other more and more. At last, to their astonishment, on getting up one day, They saw a frigate anchored in the offing of the bay. To PETER an idea occurred. "Suppose we cross the main? So good an opportunity may not be found again." And SOMERS thought a minute, then ejaculated, "Done! I wonder how my business in the City's getting on?" "But stay," said Mr. PETER: "when in England, as you know, I earned a living tasting teas for BAKER, CROOP, AND CO., I may be superseded - my employers think me dead!" "Then come with me," said SOMERS, "and taste indigo instead." But all their plans were scattered in a moment when they found The vessel was a convict ship from Portland, outward bound; When a boat came off to fetch them, though they felt it very kind, To go on board they firmly but respectfully declined. As both the happy settlers roared with laughter at the joke, They recognized a gentlemanly fellow pulling stroke: 'Twas ROBINSON - a convict, in an unbecoming frock! Condemned to seven years for misappropriating stock!!! They laughed no more, for SOMERS thought he had been rather rash In knowing one whose friend had misappropriated cash; And PETER thought a foolish tack he must have gone upon In making the acquaintance of a friend of ROBINSON. At first they didn't quarrel very openly, I've heard; They nodded when they met, and now and then exchanged a word: The word grew rare, and rare