"Adrift in the Wilds; Or, The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys" by Edward S. Ellis is a historical adventure novel written in the late 19th century. The book focuses on the escapades of two young boys, Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence, alongside Tim O'Rooney, an Irishman, as they embark on a journey to California, only to find themselves shipwrecked and struggling for survival in the wilderness. At the start of the story, the readers are introduced to the main characters aboard a steamer heading towards San Francisco, filled with excitement about their upcoming summer in California after a long separation from family. However, the tranquility is shattered when a fire breaks out on the ship, forcing the boys and Tim to make a perilous escape into the ocean. The opening chapters depict their anxious voyage, the chaos of the fire, and their harrowing jumps overboard, setting the stage for their survival challenges on an unfamiliar coast, which will become the focus of their ensuing adventures. (This is an automatically generated summary.)