A Prologue

In the early 1800s lived a man of considerable wealth. He was a man of strong values and upright, Christian morals and a great dislike of society and what it had become. Such was the basis for this man's decision to attempt to begin a new society founded on those noble values in a land separated from the evils of this world and unburdened by it's confusion of people and ideals. On some distant island he would start afresh, gather a new people, righteous and good, and there set an example for the world to follow. This man was my father. His death on the outbound voyage was perhaps a blessing given what became of our mission, but there, we all see clearer with hindsight.

The beginnings of this dream awoke in my father when he was still young himself, and just setting out in the world, discovering its wonders and flaws. However, it was many years later that he seriously began setting out plans, scouring maps of distant lands and researching the discoveries of other explorers who had made pathways across the seas.
     My family had made money through shipping and trade, both good and bad and so acquiring a vessel to take us to a new land was not a problem. The greater challenge for my father was deciding who would join us in our venture. He wanted people who were skilled in various ways, but more importantly upright and of good character. We also wanted to avoid unwanted attention or publicity. We did not want the world and his wife to attempt to come with us, and so it became our secret. For nearly two years we watched and listened, talking to friends and strangers, and slowly a list was drawn up.
     Because of our careful planning almost all of those whom we asked to join agreed and were enthusiastic about the idea. They too sought a fresh start and a new way of life. A few declined but thankfully kept our voyage secret and so by the time we were ready to set off the reason for our journey and who was going was largely unknown. Even those coming did not know everything or everyone.
     My father's name was James and my mother's name was Verity. Then there was me, aged 12 at the beginning of our journey to the far side of the world, and completing our family was Amelia, known to all as Emmie, and, at 7 years old, the youngest member of our entire gathering. You'll get to know us and all the others as I go on, but I will add that come departure day we were a happy, even giddy, collection people, united by our passion and excitement and nothing, we thought, could possibly thwart our mission.