This story is of the journey of a British warship, HMS Pandora, on its journey from England to Australia. The account of the journey is told in a journal kept by a young aristocratic passenger, Edmund Talbot. Talbot's influential godfather has secured him employment with the Governor General in Australia, and presented him with a journal in which to record significant events of his journey.

Talbot's account comments on various passengers and crew members, giving a representation of early 19th century English society. He expresses his opinion of class divisions, and has a running theme focusing on the proper conduct of a gentleman. He recounts problems with the captain and some passengers. He describes his romantic feelings for a young woman he meets on another ship. He writes of the fears about the sea worthiness of the Pandora. The book presents a picture of a young man's journey of self-discovery in which he progresses from an objectionable and ignorant snob to a man who understands the virtues of the common man around him.

There are beautiful descriptions of the sea with the maritine atmosphere conveyed perfectly with the tedium and boredom of the journey, which was extremely uncomfortable and long. The description of the storm off Cape of Good Hope is horrifying and graphic, giving a vivid and detailed description of the disintergrating vessel in the tropical waters, and the despair of the passengers.

This is a complex and excellent portrayal of life at sea during the Napoleonic era.