The rising sun

"In 1698, five vessels led by the flagship Rising Sun embarked on a perilous voyage for the northern coast of what is now Panama, where the 2,000 passengers intended to establish a settlement at Darien. With them went the hopes and fortunes of the nation of Scotland, which sought to build an overseas colony so that it could at last compete on the world stage with its rival England.". "Only 300 men would return alive. This is the story of their tragic mission, which shattered a dream of empire and bankrupted a nation."--BOOK JACKET.