Yellow Jack and the Worm

Between 1739 and 1742, Britain’s major war effort against Spain was concentrated in the Caribbean. This book sets out to examine the problems involved in operating and administering the overseas naval bases at the heart of this effort. Drawing largely on unpublished archive material, it paints a detailed picture of the organization and development of the yard facilities at Jamaica and English Harbor, as well as examining the problems of manning and supplying the ships stationed there. Making extensive use of ships’ muster books, the author provides for the first time a quantitative assessment of the problems of sickness and desertion facing the commanders in the West Indies. The title of this book is taken from the two most common diseases suffered by the men stationed in the Caribbean.