The most renowned naval officer of the mid-nineteenth century, Thomas Cochrane, Tenth Earl of Dundonald (1775–1860), served in wars against Spain and France, retiring as an admiral in the Royal Navy. He was also an M.P., vociferously calling for naval reform in Parliament. Due to a financial scandal, he left the Royal Navy for a period and became a celebrated mercenary, commanding naval forces in the wars of independence of Chile, Peru, Brazil and Greece. First published in 1851, this work contains notes on a voyage of 1849 around the West Indies and North America. Describing the peoples and geography encountered, it offers progressive remarks on the end of slavery, criticisms of plantation owners, and suggestions for commercial improvements. The book remains of enduring interest to scholars of naval, colonial and Caribbean history.
