At that time he held the position of yeoman.
Mr.Boyton discovered that Paul did not have much aptitude for commercial pursuits, so he sent him to the West Indies for the purpose of collecting and shipping all kinds of marine curiosities.
Paul's companion was a submarine diver whom his father had engaged.

They took passage on the bark, "Reindeer," bound for the Barbadoes.

They had all kinds of the latest dredging apparatus, including submarine armor and pumps in their outfit.

After a tedious voyage of twenty-seven days, the "Reindeer" cast anchor in Bridgetown.

Paul and the diver, whose name was Tom Scott, were kindly welcomed by the merchant, an old friend of Mr.Boyton's, to whom they carried letters of introduction.
His father's instructions were to charter a fishing boat, or some suitable vessel at Bridgetown for a six month's cruise among the keys and islands surrounding, for the purpose of fishing up coral, shells and other curios that he could gather.