The Life of Robert Louis Stevenson for Boys and Girls

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However, it seemed worth the risk, and having decided to go he began to
look forward to the trip with boyish delight. "It will be horrid fun,"
he said, "to be an invalid gentleman on board a yacht, to walk around
with a spy-glass under your arm, to make landings and trade beads and
chromos for cocoanuts, and to have the natives swim out to meet you."

He and Lloyd spent hours laying their course and making out lists of
stores with which to furnish the schooner, regardless of the doubt
expressed by their friends as to the capacity of the boat. "They calmly
proceeded with their interminable lists and scorned the criticism of a
mere land-lubber. All conversation that was not of a nautical character
failed to hold their interest."

Cheered with strong hopes for Louis's future, the family departed for
San Francisco on the 28th of May, 1888. Their one regret was the good
friends they were leaving behind. This particularly affected Louis, but
he tried to hide his feelings by making all sorts of lively and