Westward Ho! (novel)

"Westward Ho!" is an 1855 British historical novel by Charles Kingsley, inspired in part by the Crimean War.

Plot summary

Beginning in the fictional seaport of "Bideford Quay" near the real Bideford in North Devon during the reign of Elizabeth I, "Westward Ho!" follows the adventures of Amyas Leigh, an unruly child who as a young man follows Francis Drake to sea. Amyas loves local beauty Rose Salterne, as does nearly everyone else. Much of the novel involves the kidnap of Rose by a Spaniard. Amyas spends time in the Caribbean seeking gold, and eventually returns to England at the time of the Spanish Armada, finding his true love, the beautiful Indian maiden Ayacanora, in the process; yet fate had blundered and brought misfortune into Amyas's life,for not only had he been blinded by a freak bolt of lightning at sea, but he also loses his brother Frank Leigh and Rose Salterne, who were caught by the Spaniards and burnt at the stake by the Inquisition.

Legacy

The book is the inspiration behind the unusual name of the village of Westward Ho! in Devon, the only place name in England which contains an exclamation mark.

The phrase was also adopted to describe both the westward migration to the United States and across its western frontier.

External links

* [http://www.bibliomania.com/0/0/30/64/frameset.html Westward Ho! manuscript]