James’ sketch of Cartagena and La Popa
Notes of a Voyage to Jamaica, Carthagena & back
Sailed 9th July 1831 – Returned 15th Oct.r 1831
Absent 14 weeks
After only a month in Falmouth, the Duke of York once again set sail, this time bound for the Caribbean. After such a short time at home James joined the ship with “dark clouds of melancholy and regrets” but on climbing aboard he was pleasantly surprised at how clean and tidy the ship was following the appointment of a new Steward.
During this trip he tries a rose plum for the first time, encounters slaves/negroes who come aboard to “sell everything and many other things”, goes to the theatre to see a farce called Nature and Philosopy, or the Man who never saw a Woman, learns to play chess, has dinner with a swindler and ends the voyage with a very sad trip home during which a young crew member dies and is buried at sea.
Click here to start reading the journal or download this voyage as a pdf.