Setting out on the Caribbean today on a large vessel might involve boarding a massive cruise ship in Fort Lauderdale or Nassau in the Bahamas. Things were a bit different when Aaron Thomas set off on those same waters back in 1798. Thomas served on the HMS Lapwing during the French Revolutionary wars and his journal contains first-hand accounts of naval operations, customs of the day, and humorous anecdotes involving shipmates and superiors. This wonderful volume is physically located at the University of Miami Libraries Special Collections Division, but visitors can read the document on this site. One sample contains this chestnut of an observation: "Never stop at an Inn, nor go into a Shop to buy goods, if you see the Master has a Superfine Coat on." The document includes pen sketches, financial records, and graveyard epitaphs collected during Thomas's forays ashore. Visitors can click on the Biography area to learn more about Thomas and also use the Excerpts area to get a flavor for his prose style.