Michael Scott (30 October 1789 - 7 November 1835) was a Scottish author and autobiographer who wrote under the pseudonym Tom Cringle. Scott was born in Scotland at Cowlairs, near Glasgow, the son of a Glasgow merchant. In 1806 he went to Jamaica, first managing some estates, and afterwards joining a business firm in Kingston. The latter post necessitated his making frequent journeys, on the incidents of which he based his best known book, Tom Cringle's Log.

THE CAPTURE OF THE COTTON SHIP: The northwester still continued, with a clear blue sky, without a cloud overhead by day, and a bright, cold moon by night. It blew so hard for the three succeeding days, that we could not carry more than close-reefed topsails to it, and a reefed foresail.