'Dick Sands the Boy Captain ' Summary

Several days into their journey northeast, the Pilgrim encounters a shipwreck, with only five African-American survivors (Tom, Actéon, Austin, Bat, and Hercules), plus a dog (Dingo), all of whom are brought onto the ship and offered passage to America.

It is as they get closer east that they encounter a whale; the captain and crew decide to hunt it, in an attempt to make some profit off the otherwise failed season. Captain Hull reluctantly leaves Dick responsible for the ship in his absence, while the rest of the crew approaches the whale on a smaller boat. However, while defending itself, the whale destroys the boat, killing the crew and leaving Dick in charge of a ship with no experienced sailors – only the shipwreck survivors are well enough to help him.

However, the ship's cook, Negoro, has sinister plans for the ship. After breaking one of the ship's compasses and leaving them without a measuring device, he places a magnet on the other compass to trick the inexperienced crew into changing their route. In spite of the longer than expected travel, the group perseveres, and finally makes land, although the Pilgrim is lost. Negoro escapes with Mrs. Weldon's money.

A man named Harris meets the group, assuring them they are on the Bolivian coast, and encouraging them to follow him into the jungle, saying he can lead them to a nearby city. Dick begins to suspect that they are being lied to as they encounter several animals Harris insists are native, but do not seem to be like any he knows. Dick realizes they are in Africa after the group hears a lion's roar and a horrified Tom – who had been enslaved in his youth – finds several implements. From eavesdropping on Harris, Dick further learns that they are in Angola, that Harris is Negoro's partner in crime, and that he was leading the group in to weaken them and make it easier for him to take Tom and the others into slavery.