Jack learns it's not all fun and games!

The last time you read about Jack, the 'Martha Jones", a ship he had joined was in the crosshairs of a destructive hurricane. Back in the day, weather forecasting was not the science it is today. The ship, and its port of call, Kingston, Jamaica, were in great peril. A direct hit from a hurricane would be truly bad news. (This was the early 1820's).

Jack learned about the coming hurricane from his boss, Mr. Barber, chief ships cook and head of Jack's workplace, the galley. Barber, described the coming storm in biblical terms. A storm to end all known life and just punishment for our sins. Those threats did little to convince Jack, his optimism was boundless. But, when the big blow arrives, might he consider maybe Barber knows a little bit about hurricanes?

I'm not going to spoil our tale with a blow-by-blow description of what happens; for that you will have to read the book.

A little side note. The Island of Jamaica during the 1600's was a slave driven economy. Its largest and wealthiest city was Port Royal. Port Royal of that time was overrun by every sort of dissolute criminal activity that could be visited on a city. The most famous pirates of the Caribbean dropped anchor there. Every supporting vice from brothels to murder were common, endemic to the life of the city. In June 1692 that all came to an end. An earthquake of huge proportions leveled the city and liquified the ground she was built on. Two thirds of the city slid into the Bay of Kingston and disappeared beneath the sea.

To the north, across the the Bay of Kingston, a small port of Kingston, known to most of us through the "Banana Boat" (Day-O) song by Harry Belafonte, went on to become the largest town and port on the island.