A Bid for Fortune · Chapter
I: I Determine to Take a Holiday—Sydney, and What Befell Me There explained
Richard Hatteras introduces himself as a pearler and trader from Thursday Island, now wealthy after years of hard work.
What happens
Richard Hatteras introduces himself as a pearler and trader from Thursday Island, now wealthy after years of hard work. He decides to take a holiday to England to visit his father's birthplace. In Sydney, he encounters a suspicious stranger who offers to show him around, but a lawyer warns him against the man. He boards the Orizaba and meets Miss Wetherell and her father, who remember his kindness in the Domain. Hatteras finds himself falling in love with Miss Wetherell, though he feels his humble station makes him unworthy. During the voyage, she confronts him about avoiding her, and they share a meaningful conversation.
Themes in this chapter
Adventure and Exploration
Hatteras recounts his adventurous life as a pearler and trader in the Pacific, and his journey to England represents a new exploration of his heritage.
Class and Social Mobility
Hatteras, a humble pearler, contrasts his wealth and status with that of Miss Wetherell, the Colonial Secretary's daughter, highlighting class differences and social aspirations.
Identity and Belonging
Hatteras reflects on being an orphan and a colonial, feeling out of place in Sydney and seeking connection to his father's English roots.
Characters to notice
- Richard Hatteras
The narrator and protagonist, a wealthy pearler from Thursday Island, decides to take a holiday to England. He is strong, adventurous, and falls in love with Miss Wetherell during the voyage.
- Miss Wetherell
The daughter of the Colonial Secretary, she is beautiful and kind. She remembers Hatteras's earlier kindness and confronts him about avoiding her on the ship.
- Mr. Mathew Draper
A lawyer in Sydney who warns Hatteras against the suspicious stranger in the saloon.
- Prendergast
The suspicious stranger in the Sydney saloon who tries to ingratiate himself with Hatteras, but is warned against by the lawyer.
- Miss Thompson
A fellow passenger on the Orizaba, mentioned as feeling unwell due to the swell.
Key passages
“First and foremost, my name, age, description, and occupation, as they say in the Police Gazette. Richard Hatteras, at your service, commonly called Dick, of Thursday Island, North Queensland, pearler, copra merchant, beche-de-mer and tortoiseshell dealer, and South Sea trader generally.”
Hatteras introduces himself formally, listing his name, age, and various trades as a pearler and trader from Thursday Island.
Opening self-introduction establishes Hatteras's character and background.
“I made up my mind to take a holiday and go home to England to see the place where my father was born, and had lived his early life (I found the name of it written in the flyleaf of an old Latin book he left me), and to have a look at a country I’d heard so much about, but never thought to have the good fortune to set my foot upon.”
Hatteras decides to take a holiday to England to visit his father's birthplace, using an old Latin book to find the location.
Motivation for the journey: a personal pilgrimage to his father's homeland.
“I was in love from the soles of my deck shoes to the cap upon my head. But as to the chance that I, a humble pearler, would stand with one of Sydney’s wealthiest and most beautiful daughters—why, that's another matter, and one that, for the present, I was anxious to keep behind me.”
Hatteras admits he is deeply in love with Miss Wetherell but doubts his chances due to his humble social status.
Reveals Hatteras's romantic feelings and awareness of class barriers.
