King of Kilba
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
King of Kilba is a 1926 adventure story for children authored by Percy F. Westerman. The narrative centers on Kenneth Kilsyth, a young clerk from London, and his companion Gerald Hayes as they embark on maritime exploits leading them to the island of Kilba.
Plot summary
Kenneth Kilsyth, an unwilling office worker in London, unexpectedly wins £1000 in a football pool—an amount roughly equivalent to £200,000 today based on average earnings. He persuades his friend Gerald Hayes to accompany him on an adventurous journey.
The pair become the only passengers aboard the merchant vessel S.S. Mumtaz, voyaging from Vancouver to Honolulu. A mysterious illness soon claims the lives of the ship’s officers and most crew members. Alongside the quartermaster Bridges, who instructs them in sail rigging, they manage to survive as the ship drifts onto a coral reef close to an island.
Equipped with firearms taken from the captain’s quarters, they go ashore and are confronted by natives who attack while standing on stilts. Their assault ceases when an elderly white man intervenes—he had been shipwrecked years before and now reigns as the 'King' of Kilba, fulfilling a prophecy that foretold a white ruler. The newcomers discover ongoing tribal conflicts between Kilba and the neighboring Neka tribe.
After the old king passes away, Kilsyth assumes kingship with Hayes regarded as his 'brother'. They engage in warfare against Neka and introduce football and cricket to the islanders. While cricket serves as a diversion for the natives, Nekas seize Hayes intending to offer him as a sacrifice to 'Bonga Te Akka', a colossal crab deity.
Kilsyth mounts a rescue mission but is captured and nearly sacrificed himself. He manages to kill the giant crab using fire. As the Nekas prepare to execute them, New Zealand prospectors searching for ambergris arrive and intervene. The men negotiate an equal partnership with Wilcox and Co., their Auckland-based sponsors, in return for disclosing ambergris deposits found on the island.
Their departure is by explorer’s aeroplane, fulfilling another prophecy that predicts the King will be carried away by a 'great bird' once his duties are complete.