Captain Briggs, a drunkard and a tyrannical brute, while cruising in the South Seas in the 1870's, steals an idol from some islanders and thereby provokes an attack on his ship. The natives are beaten, and their witch calls down a curse on the captain. In port Briggs sells his opium cargo, becomes wealthy, and marries. In time, the captain's wife and child die, and his nephew Hal becomes a sailor. In a drunken brawl, Hal steals the captain's savings and arouses the fear of his sweetheart, Laura. In a battle, Hal is wounded with a poisonous Malay sword, and Dr. Philiol succeeds in mixing the indicated remedy just in time to save his life. After a long illness, Hal reforms, regains the love of his aged uncle, and wins the hand of Laura.