The Boy Slaves

This is an excellent book, telling of the adventures of three midshipmen and a much older sailor from a British warship that went aground off the coast of Africa and sank with all hands on board. These surviving four find themselves afloat on a spar which they paddle for several days until they reach the shore of Africa. Shortly thereafter they are taken prisoner by Barbary pirates who intend to sell them as slaves, and their adventure continues.