A large number of former officers and…

A large number of former officers and soldiers join happily in the Darien Scheme, as they have little hope of any other employment.

Many are acquainted from serving in the army and several—the best known being Thomas Drummond—are notorious for involvement in the Massacre of Glencoe.

Some regard them as a clique, causing much suspicion among other members of the expedition.

The first expedition of five ships (Saint Andrew, Caledonia, Unicorn, Dolphin, and Endeavour), sets sail in July 1698 from the east coast port of Leith to avoid observation by English warships.

With around twelve hundred people on board, the journey round Scotland while kept below decks is so traumatic that some colonists think it comparable to the worst parts of the whole Darien experience that follows.