A High Wind in Jamaica

A hurricane hits Jamaica in the mid-19th century, destroying daily life and prompting the Thornton family to consider a safer future. Thornton feels it's time to send their five children to England for a more civilised upbringing and education.

During the voyage, pirates board the ship, creating chaos and panic. The children accidentally end up aboard the pirate vessel, separated from their family.

Chavez, the pirate captain, and Zac, the first mate, decide to sail to Tampico to avoid kidnapping charges. They plan to leave the children with Rosa, a good-hearted brothel madam who will keep them safe.

Rosa welcomes the children and promises to shelter them, showing her willingness to help. She warns the pirates that the law is hot on their trail and danger may follow their choice to keep the kids.

John, one of the children, slips from a brothel window and dies, a tragedy that shocks everyone. Rosa insists Chavez take the remaining children away to avoid involvement in a potential murder case.

The pirates view the children as unlucky and demand abandoning them on the next island. Tension rises as the option to dump the kids is seriously considered by the crew.

Emily falls ill, and Chavez refuses to attack a passing Dutch vessel, hoping it will carry Emily and the children to safety. His restraint contrasts with the crew's growing restlessness and fear.

Chavez's men mutiny, lock him up, seize the Dutch boat, and capture its captain. The mutiny consolidates control on the pirates' vessel and accelerates their chaotic plan.

A Royal Navy cutter appears, panicking the pirates. The crew re-board their own ship under the stress of the sudden intervention.

Emily wakes to the bound Dutch captain pleading in Dutch to be cut free. Terrified by Chavez's sleeping draughts, she mistakes his intentions and stabs the captain to death.

Chavez and his former crew are taken prisoner and shipped to Britain for trial. Their arrest marks a dramatic turn from fugitives to defendants on British soil.

In court, the barrister twists Emily's testimony to imply she blames Chavez for the Dutch captain's death. As a result, the pirates are sentenced to hang for the death rather than imprisonment for piracy.

In the final scene, the children play innocently by a lake, with Emily standing among them and staring at a model ship. The image emphasizes the contrast between childhood and the brutal voyage they endured.