Port Royal & Kingston
Monday 7th – we had a fine breeze all night, which brought us in to Port Royal at 8 A.M. Shortly after coming to anchor, the Captain having first paid his respects to the naval Commanding Officer, proceeded to Kingston. It had been my intention soon to have followed him but the state of the weather put an end to all thoughts of it. The season destined to be unfortunate in the weather whenever we expect to derive pleasure in Harbour – for About 10 oClock A.M. the rain began to pour down in torrents ands continued almost without intermission the whole day & night. This has been the first rainy weather for some months and we have been the Harbingers of it. Our time consequently was spent very dully – and I had a thousand times rather [been] at sea than before Port Royal.
Find M.r Drummond – Acc.t of M.r Barlow our passenger
Tuesday 8th – Early this morning the Steward being obliged to go to Kingston to market I assertedingally to take a passage with him. The weather tho’ much better than yesterday was still threatening, and it was not without several heavy showers, that we at length reached Kingston, 2 hours and half after leaving the Packet.
I remained [in] Town the whole of the day, and visited several different parts of it, but I did not remark anything additional to what I mentioned last voyage. As I had promised I waited upon a M.r Drummond, whom from all accounts, I thought to be the person about whom I had been directed to enquire – and to my great satisfaction found that I had not been mistaken. He received me very kindly, and drove me in his gig to his house about 2 miles, up the country, where I was introduced to his lady and family. There also I dined and [had] a long conversation about mutual acquaintance and family members.
At 4 P.M. we returned to town and M.r D.rd accompanied me to the wherry to see me embark for our Packet.
We left at Kingston as passenger M.r Barlow – Apothecary and Druggist from Truro. He was a young man of very quiet habits, and of a staid and sober disposition. His visit to the West Indies was entirely a speculation and he did not at all agree with the sage remark of Shakespeare – “That it is better to bear the ills we know, than fly to those we know not of” for he came an utter stranger, and without any positive prospect of employment. His History was certainly a melancholy one. Having about nine years ago married a woman of impeccable moral character, and whom he preferred, but who was also acceptable to his friends on account of her want fortune, he was exposed to the anger and persecution of all those who ought to have, bound by natural ties to adventure his interest. Altho’ before his ill starred marriage he was succeedingly remarkably well in a shop at Truro, and was likely in a few years to have the best business there, such was the malice of his parents & brethren, that by their insinuation, completely blighted his fair prospect of obtaining an honourable competence. When one plan of life failed, he tried another, but still he met with misfortune, till, at last after the lapse of nine years, his friends somewhat relented and agreed to fit him out for the West Indies. From some conversation I had with him I understood that his views were to go into a situation of the manager of one instant, and then by degrees to endeavour to be employed as a Surgeon – but he seemed little aware how difficult a matter it will prove to obtain such a birth, and that a good knowledge of crops, management of estates &.c must [be] preliminary and indispensable qualification for it. His case will be truly pitiable, if he is long without some means of support and it is probable that like most Europeans, he must undergo a “seasoning” as an attack of the fever is called, which if he escapes fatal consequences, will considerably augment his difficulties. He appeared to be a good Chemist & in that capacity had been employed in one of the London Hospitals.
Le Abbe Cendra
The only other passenger whom we left at Kingston, was a young Catholic priest whom we had taken onboard at Jacquemel. His name was L’ Abbe Cendra, and his whole appearance was as unclerical as possible. He was a native of Old Spain, had come from Port Au Prince in S.tDomingo, which place either thro’ lenity or disgust he soon left, and took his passage with us to Jamaica. There was another priest along with him, well advanced in years, who communicated some stories respecting the youth, which showed that he had from luck adopted his profession, not his profession him.
[here he breaks into Latin? for half a page]
“Vetus saceretos mehi Litine discit Juvenem rote animo milreribre de-ditum esse, et se effrenata cupiduie gessisse et in Hispania et apua Haytianos. Ex hoc accideret, quod hoc curriculum vitae dier vie pune non percurrisset – nom mulenes malae corpus venerco vene-no magnepere infecisent. Ad hoc ocuerdotem shum pene onisis pecunias in scorti suis gratificum-ae quas ob usus religious accepisset expendisse.”
He was very fortunate for soon as he reached Kingston, he obtained an appointment, for which, besides his lodgings and sustenance he was to receive one dollar a day.