The Commodore (novel)

The Commodore (1995) is a further historical novel entry in the Aubrey-Maturin series of naval stories by Patrick O'Brian. Set in the middle of the Napoleonic Wars, O'Brian takes the narrative further across the globe than other in this genre. The main characters are rising in seniority with the Royal Navy and many of the problems of naval life of the period are included with the story.

Plot summary

The Commodore opens with Jack winning the Ringle, a Baltimore Clipper, from his friend Captain Dundas, the Surprise having accompanied the Berenice back from Chile. Aubrey and Maturin have returned to England, (after adventures in the South Pacific and South America) where the latter finds that his young daughter Brigid appears to be an "idiot" or "natural" (to use the language of the time) and unable to speak, and that his wife Diana has fled the situation, leaving Brigid in the care of the newly-widowed Clarissa Oakes.

When Stephen meets Sir Joseph Blaine at Black's, their club, he is told that Clarissa's information led to the Duke of Habachtsthal being supposed the third conspirator in the Ledward-Wray conspiracy. Unfortunately, the Duke is too highly placed for Blaine's investigation to do much good and in fact does even more harm to Stephen and his friends. Blaine tells Stephen that the Duke's influence has delayed the pardons of both Clarissa and Padeen as well as instigated an investigation into Stephen's role in the Irish revolt. After hearing this information, Stephen asks Jack for the Ringle and sets off to cash out his bank accounts and then proceeds to have Clarissa, Padeen and Brigid taken to live at the Benedictine house in Avila, Spain out of the clutches of the Duke. Blaine hires Pratt, whom Stephen had employed in "The Reverse of the Medal", to gather information on the Duke.

Once the squadron is formed, Aubrey and Maturin are very publicly instructed to disrupt the African slave trade, now illegal, but the true mission of the squadron is to intercept a French invasion force which expects a sympathetic welcome in Maturin's native Ireland. The squadron begins on a disastrous note, losing the powerful Pyramus and taking the Thames instead. Also, the Stately is commanded by Duff, a paederast, who destroys discipline by taking young lovers among his forecastlemen, and another by a tyrant, Captain Thomas who, unlike Aubrey, values spit and polish more than efficiency in battle, and indiscriminately flogs his crewmen. These two captains and their crews soon find themselves at odds, threatening the squadron's efficiency.

The Ringle makes it safely to Corunna in Galicia where Stephen sees off his wards and deposits his considerable amounts of gold. The Ringle rendezvouses with the Bellona at the Berlings off Cape Finisterre, and they make their way to the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, with the crews practising hard at lowering down boats. Stephen survives a near fatal bout of Yellow Fever contracted while traipsing around the swamplands of West Africa in his usual search for rare birds and animals, a quest in which he is ably assisted in Freetown by the British colonial governor's wife, Christine Wood (née Hatherleigh), herself an esteemed naturalist and sister of one of Stephen's fellow members of the Royal Society.

The squadron successfully disrupts the slave trade, saving over 5,000 slaves and having eight slaving ships condemned. Aubrey then hastens to meet the French squadron, commanded by the wily Commodore Esprit-Tranquil Maistral, south and east of the point the French are expected to reach (West Cork). Jack fills in his captains on his plan of attack and the Bellona attacks the French pennant-ship, with the Thames and Stately attacking the other French two-decker. The first strikes on a rocky shelf and surrenders; the second badly mauls the Stately (Duff loses a leg) and flees eastwards. The four French troop carriers and one frigate are also captured (one frigate also escapes), aided by the Royal Oak and Warwick, who join the scene of battle.

Maturin finds as the novel closes that the Duke of Habachtsthal has committed suicide. This is possibly due to the threat of trial for treason after being identified by Clarissa Oakes and following extensive investigation carried out by Pratt, a Bow Street Runner employed by Maturin and Sir Joseph Blaine. This was a traditional courtesy to noblemen, allowing them to commit suicide and save themselves the ignominy of a public trial and even more public execution. Stephen is also happily reunited once more with Diana, who happens to be living near that part of the Irish coast with one of her first husband's uncles.

Characters in "The Commodore"

Jack Aubrey - appointed Rear-Admiral.

Stephen Maturin - surgeon of the Bellona, friend to Jack and an intelligence officer.

Heneage Dundas - Captain of HMS Berenice

Preserved Killick

Barret Bonden - Jack's coxwain

Padeen Colman - Stephen's Irish servant

Sarah and Emily Sweeting

Awkward Davies - Able Seaman

Joe Plaice - Able Seaman

Fellowes - Post-Captain of the Thunderer

William Smith and Alexander Macaulay - assistant surgeons on Bellona

Mr Wetherby - youngster on Bellona

Sophie Aubrey - Jack's wife

Mrs Williams - Sophie's mother

Diana Maturin - Stephen's wife

Clarissa Oakes

Brigid Maturin - Stephen's daughter

Sir Joseph Blaine - Head of Intelligence at the Admiralty

Mnanson - Jack's butler at Woolcomb

Mr Gray - First Lieutenant on the Bellona (dies)

Mr Whewell - acting First Lieutenant on the Bellona

John Square - assists Stephen in Freetown

Houmouzios - Greek money lender

Mrs Charlotte Wood - eminent naturalist

Squadron leaders:

Captain Tom Pullings - Bellona

Captain William Duff - Stately

Captain Howard - Aurora

Captain Thomas - Thames (nicknamed the Purple Emperor)

Captain Fitton - Nimble

Captain Smith - Camilla

William Reade - Ringle

Dick Richardson - Laurel

Ships in "The Commodore"

The British:

Jack Aubrey's squadron:

HMS Bellona - seventy-four gun; broadside weight of 926 pounds; crew of 590

HMS Stately - sixty-four; broadside weight of 792 pounds

HMS Nimble - a cutter

HMS Thames - thirty-two; broadside weight of 300 pounds

HMS Aurora - a twenty-four gun; crew of 196

HMS Camilla - twenty-gun

HMS Orestes - brig-rigged sloop

HMS Ringle - Boston cutter, Berenice then Bellona's tender

HMS Laurel

Others:

HM Hired Vessel Surprise

HMS Berenice - sixty-four two decker

HMS Thunderer - seventy-four

HMS Royal Oak - seventy-four

HMS Warwick - seventy-four

The French:

two seventy-fours

two frigates

four troop carriers