| Description | Journal of Jonathan Troup: April 1791. Troup is still on board ship.
He was sent on deck to see a man had hurt himself
Mr Watt told me there is not a thing in Morton's pamphlet that he has not seen happen but he takes everything in a bad light.
Capt Boatfloor gave him a lecture about not interfering with his business;
He described Souffrir in Dominica - the sulphur vents, the plants that grow there, the way canes are transported down the mountains
He described his farewells in Dominica
Flying fish came aboard in evening
He described an accident which occurred on board on the 5th of April which affected himself and Miss Henrietta Johnston. Immediately afterwards, a sailor named Bob Barber went overboard. Troup described the scene and the, ultimately unsuccessful, attempts to save him in great detail. Troup stated that the 'Capt said he would have thought very little of it had he never seen him again or if he had struck the side but to see and hear the poor lad for so long was very shocking to human nature. I feel myself very uneasy and a Quakers meeting continued with every body on board all evening; I drowned my sorrow in rum and sugar'
The captain believed that taking paying passengers forboded evil and spoke to storms. He that he blamed Troup for the drowning as he never had a man lost before on board of vessel.
He declined to go on deck and view the articles that belonged to the sailor but was persuaded to do so by the Captain
There was some stormy weather: a 'number of small articles broken; slept very little all night - noisy incl breaking bottles'
Turtles were seen near the ship
Tempers frayed amongst the passengers on board the ship: 'Because the ladies would not sing, Mr W went out and damned their souls and they gave a proper soliloquy - 'Damn our souls very pretty indeed, if I had known I would have as soon as cut my throat as have come on board. Besides, we have been in company before and better company so that you cannot impose on us. Mr Watt surely never spent a doge for either of us so he has no right to say damn our souls. I'll sing when I please and when I am not willing, not all the ships crew shall make me sing''
He sketched of Bob Barbour in the sea
He noted that the climate was getting colder. He is pleased but his animals suffer
His fellow passengers commented on his appearance: 'Henrietta J told me to get my head look'd by Frankee as much to say it had plenty of creepers; Capt Boatflour frequently drinks to my health - 'here's to the Dr in spite of his teeth''
He also got a lecture on having on his beard and remarked that it is important to meet the customs of the people you live with otherwise you get their hatred and contempt.
His animals did not fare well on the journey and some died.The sailors gave his monkey so much rum to drink as deprived him of sense and motion for near a day but he recovered
There was a row about the killing of a sheep which led the Capt to quarrel with the cook (70) and knock out some of his teeth
'Capt got up in the night 3am and Mr Watt [forced] his hand in the room where Frankee, old blackwoman, was and Mr W said he was lying on his belly. Capt funs with Frankee by day on deck and if he has not, his intentions were to roger her'
They approached the Azores on the 18th of April which they did not see and presumed to be south of their path
He sketched of a plantain tree, paddling in a boat, a canoe and a woman with child.
Sketch of Dominica annotated with the names of estates (?) from the draught of Mr Young, late governor of Dominica to whom the West Indies atlas (1780) is dedicated;
He remarked that the stock is dying fast and that the Rum and other liquors are running out quickly. The captain had provisions for 3 months after all the stock is gone
The old cook fell on deck during the middle watch of previous night. His collar bone was broken near the shoulder on left side
The custom at sea when on a ration of water is using the barrel of a musket to draw the water from the bung of the puncheon man by man and when each has done it, it is often carried to the top mast head and when it is wanted, it is often brought from the same place - if one man wants water he must go for it and carry it up again;
He described the vessels they see during their journey including a French brig they saw on the 27th of April. She had a new national flag up (white field with a red stripe in a Rombord figure running perpendicular to the flag staff in the highest corner to the staff and the red stripe is surrounded with a small dark blue border)
Mr W consulted me about his sore legs, he has ruffled the skin of them. Troup told him that he should not drink rum that it made them worse when he was in bed |