Introductory Note
I discovered this little book in an antique store and picked it up because I had heard of the cruise of the German commerce raider Emden, quite famous in World War I naval history. That, and I like a good sea story.
What is peculiar about this book, presumably first published in German but translated into English in the United States, is that it is a World War I story published in the U.S. that takes the German side during the war. The copyright date is 1917, which would be while the war was still going on, though possibly before the United States entered the war against Germany on April 6, 1917. Further, it was copyrighted by "Ritter & Company" of Boston. This is suggestive because "Ritter" is the German word for "knight," so possibly this was a publishing company owned by a German, and perhaps it published materials sympathetic to Germany, possibly with the intent of influencing debate in the United States regarding entry into the war.
Notes:
All footnotes have been put into square brackets []
Batavia was the name for Jakarta during Dutch rule.
Padang is a port city on the west coast of Sumatra
THE "AYESHA"
BEING
THE ADVENTURES OF THE LANDING SQUAD
OF THE
"EMDEM"
BY KAPITANLEUTNANT
HELLMUTH VON MÜCKE
TRANSLATED BY HELENE S. WHITE
RITTER & COMPANY
BOSTON, MASS.
Copyright, 1917, by RITTER & COMPANY
All rights reserved, including the translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian
THE PLIMPTON PRESS
NORWOOD - MASS USA
Translators Preface
Keeling Island
The Ayesha
On Board
A Fine Day on Board
An Uneasy Day
Padang
Meeting with the Choising
Passing of the Ayesha
From Perim to Hodeida
On to Sanaa
Shipwreck
The Attack
To the Railroad
Homeward Bound
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
– Deuteronomy 31:6