Chronological History of the West Indies [Paperback]

A sobering three-volume account of 'calamities and crimes' from Columbus to 1816, published in 1827 by naval officer Thomas Southey.Naval officer Thomas Southey (17771838) was the younger brother of Robert Southey, Romantic poet and historian, to whom this three-volume work is dedicated. Published in 1827, it covers the period from Columbus to 1816, drawing on extensive reading as well as Southey's own experiences while stationed in the Caribbean.Naval officer Thomas Southey (17771838) was the younger brother of Robert Southey, Romantic poet and historian, to whom this three-volume work is dedicated. Published in 1827, it covers the period from Columbus to 1816, drawing on extensive reading as well as Southey's own experiences while stationed in the Caribbean.Thomas Southey (17771838) joined the navy at the age of twelve, saw action during the French Revolutionary Wars, and was first posted to the West Indies in early 1804. Promoted to captain in 1811 and later employed as a customs officer, he died on the voyage home from his last posting in Demerara. His only book, published in 1827, is dedicated to his older brother, Robert, a Romantic poet, who also wrote on historical subjects (his books on Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, and Brazil are also available in the Cambridge Library Collection). Thomas's three-volume work draws on extensive reading, with substantial passages quoted verbatim from his sources. He concludes that the history of the West Indies presents 'little more than a melancholy series of calamities and crimes', but commends the British government's efforts to put an end to slavery. Volume 3 covers the period from 1784 to 1816.17841816; Appendix.