The History Book Club discussion
NAPOLEONIC WARS
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7. HF - MASTER AND COMMANDER - CHAPTER 7 (223 - 271) (06/14/10 - 06/20/10) ~ No spoilers, please
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Sea battles, land battles, and grave moral issues abound in Chapter Seven.Chapter Seven begins with the Sophies finishing gunnery practice--they have improved significantly. Jack has prizes for gun crews who hit their target, and those who do it quickly. Still not as fast as Jack would like, but much better.
First thing in the morning, they spot a convoy. Dillon is sent to recapture the prize Santa Lucia. By rowing quickly and suddenly, they surprise the prize crew and swiftly take her. In the meantime, the Sophie sails after the Gloire, the privateer chartered to protect the convoy. There follows a dramatic,fighting, chase scene with cannons and muskets firing constantly. Jack finally realizes they will never catch the Gloire and gives up the chase. They sail back and connect with Dillon, who has used the Santa Lucia to take one of the setees as prize. Dillon is obviously concerned that Jack has, again, given up a chase and returned to focus on prizes. The other settee from the convoy has run down the coast and is "lying under the guns of the battery at Almoraira" (page 242). Jack plans a night attack to get the setee and blow up the fort. He has started to figure out Dillon's doubts about himself, so Jack announces he will personally lead the land attack. Again, their attack is successful, and Dillon sees Jack with new eyes.
The Sophie is now in a dilemma, they are very short on water, but if they return to Mahon for more they will loose the rest of their cruising time. Stephen mentions that he knows of an unguarded stream where they can get water. He also asks for 12 hours alone ashore to visit a "friend." Jack, fully understanding the need for female companionship, agrees. However, Stephen's time ashore is not used for human companionship, rather for solitude and reconnecting/communing with nature.
After obtaining the water, and leaving Stephen behind, the Sophie is chased by two heavy frigates, 36 guns each. Luckily, they exchange secret signals that identify them as British. The captain of the San Fiorenzo, Sir Harry Neale, orders Jack to take 50 of his prisoners, freeing the frigates of their burdens. Jack is obliged to take orders from the senior captain, effectively ending the Sophie's cruise. Jack is also told to watch for two United Irishmen rebels, presumed aboard an American ship. The Sohie takes the prisoners and sails away. With many of their senior men and leaders gone on prizes, the Sophie is overburdened and tensions are high.
They run into the American John B. Christopher and Dillon is sent aboard to search for the rebels. Dillon had tried to avoid the situation, because he knew what would happen. A rebel is indeed aboard, Dillon knows him, and the rebel says he will denounce Dillon unless Dillon turns a blind eye. Dillon knows "that whatever course he took would be dishonourable" (page 270), and returns to the Sophie reporting no passengers found.
Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but this week's chapter seems really long. Probably because it is so much longer than the last few chapters have been.The first few pages of Chapter Seven show the Sophies having a little gunnery competition. I thought it interesting that Jack gave a prize for hitting the mark, but "a better one for the watch that should fire the faster, without any wild, disqualifying shots" (page 225). Obviously speed is of major importance, even somewhat more important than accuracy? Why is that?
My guess is that with the pitch of the sea and the moving of the target, you can't really be accurate without speed anyway. Plus, as we see later in the chapter, being able to return broadside for broadside with another ship is almost a requirement in battle. To be able to fire faster than your opponent would be an advantage. I'm not sure how to quantify it, but I would imagine that actually hitting something would involve a good amount of luck as well as skill. The more often you get a shot off, the more often that luck might work for you.
After the gunnery practice, Jack plays music with Stephen and notes that they don't even have to think about keeping their bows from hitting objects in their close quarters. Jack says, "I believe the great thing is not to think of it. Those fellows, rattling their guns in and out, did not think of it" (page 227). Jack is giving a lot of credit to making a physical action automatic. Do you think it really helps that much? Why?
Elizabeth S wrote: "Jack is giving a lot of credit to making a physical action automatic. Do you think it really helps that much? Why? "I think from a military standpoint, making a physical action automatic is a total necessity. It is why training is one of the most essential activities in the military. I my opinion it does several things. One is to experience the battlefield. While this can never be fully simulated, training to an automatic level does provide a routine, something that can be done without thinking. After that initial terror flashes as the shots fly by, the individual knows what to do and can hopefully fall back on their routine. On a secondary note, it is also necessary for physical conditioning needed to complete the job.
It's a great question posed. While the training is probably not enjoyable and repetitious, Jack seems to fully understand this training needs to be done to save his and his crews lives when the moment arrives.
Rodney wrote: "Elizabeth S wrote: "Jack is giving a lot of credit to making a physical action automatic. Do you think it really helps that much? Why? "I think from a military standpoint, making a physical actio..."
I agree, football is train and train. You need the "muscle memory" to take over and do the job when your mind doesn't have time to review and make decisions.
Elizabeth S wrote: "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but this week's chapter seems really long. Probably because it is so much longer than the last few chapters have been.The first few pages of Chapter Sev..."
speed is important because the British Naval theory of warfare at this time is that your ship will get so close to your opponent that missing is impossible. Therefore speed will be the deciding factor. The more shots you get into your opponent the more of his gunnery crew you will kill or disable and the fewer shots they can return.
I think this chapter highlights well the difficulties in naval battles of this period. In Sophie's exchange with Gloire a gust of wind leads to Sophie's broadside mostly missing it's target. The loss of headway as well in this manoeuvre allows the Gloire to pull away. A chance goes begging due to the vagaries of the wind. I loved this passage on the exchange between these two ships. The tactics and thought process that would have had to go into such clashes makes me appreciate more the real life characters of that time.
Rodney and Patricrk, thanks for your comments on the value of automating physical tasks. I hadn't thought about it helping a soldier get over the initial terror of battle, and it makes a ton of sense. Putting things into "muscle memory" helps in lots of ways, I think. I notice that when I practice a piece enough on the piano and my fingers know where the notes are, my brain can spend the time thinking more critically about timing and dynamics. I think that is part of what Jack was noting, that if the bowing is automatic, then the brain can spend more time on the music part.
Great points, Michael. There is so much to think about in a naval battle, and O'Brian really helps us see the reality of it. Of course the crew generally has one task each to focus on, but the captain has to consider all angles and aspects. I think that is part of what Jack really enjoys about being in command of a ship. He seems to flourish under that kind of pressure.
You are right Elizabeth, this was a long chapter, and it was jam packed with events.One thing that struck me is that I haven't noticed any over arching plot to the book so far. Each chapter has sort of existed as it's own snippet of sea life with very little connection between them. I'm fine with this as so far I've really enjoyed reading about the "life and times" of those aboard a British military ship. However, with this chapter I'm getting the sense that the story is finally emerging, and I think Dillon is going to be in the middle of it. Any one else (who hasn't read the book before) see this?
Despite the lack of any real plot, I do like seeing the way our main characters are progressing. Jack is proving to be a competent ship captain. And Stephen is turning out to be a character I can really relate to. His need to get off the ship and all the madness associated with it for a while to commune with nature is something I can see myself doing. I was disappointed to see they had to leave him behind, but something tells me he will get along just fine on his own for a few days (or longer).
I agree, Don. At this point in the book, there isn't much in the way of overall plot. Lots of fun little adventures, but loosely connected. I think that is why, even though I've enjoyed reading the book, I'm not driven from chapter to chapter. I may stay up late to finish a particular sea-battle, but not the whole book.
Did anyone else get something funny out of this chapter? My favorite laugh was when they were outlining the attack on Cape Nao and estimating how long it would to run from the cove to the tower. Jack says 10 minutes, and Stephen interrupts saying 20 minutes because of "you portly men." Jack reproves him, saying, "Besides, I am not portly." Marshall smooths the issue with the compromise that "The captain has an uncommon genteel figgar." Ha! (See page 244.)
I did have a chuckle at that as well Elizabeth. As well as the comments from the losing crew of the gunnery contest on pg 195 in my edition. "Unscrupulous grass-combing buggers that blazed away, blind and reckless - anything to win. And powder eighteen pence the pound."I especially enjoyed the last comment, if the money for it came from their pockets.
That was a good one, Michael, and I forgot to mark it. Thanks for sharing!
For another piece of humor in this chapter, refer to page 251 where Jack is writing his report. He drafts, "All the officers and men behaved so well that it were insidious to particularize." Stephen suggests that he meant "invidious" rather than "insidious."Definition of "invidious" from dictionary.com: "offensively or unfairly discriminating; injurious"
Definition of "insidious" from dictionary.com: "intended to entrap or beguile"
Looks like Stephen's vocab is better than either Jack's or mine. Good thing he caught that!
What do you all think of the good luck of the Sophie? Up to this point, how much is luck and how much is the talents of Jack and his men?On page 252, Jack says they have "taken, sunk or burnt twenty-seven times our own weight since the beginning of the cruise." That is pretty amazing. It seems to me that they have taken on a lot of ships larger, better armed, and/or more in number, and won an awful lot. I was actually excited when they ran into the heavy frigates near the end of the chapter. I wanted to see what they would, or could, do if so overwhelmingly outmatched. We did get to see that they ran, but then it turned out not to be a fight after all. Well, not a sea battle, at least. :)
I appreciate all the more, now, O'Brian's Author's Note where he says all his fights have basis in actual log-books, letters, and accounts. Truth is stranger than fiction, right? Where else, after all, to come up with the idea of a poorly defended ship with the master's wife in labor. :)
That's an interesting point Elizabeth and one I hadn't really thought of yet, but you are probably onto something, and I have to believe their luck is going to run out at some point. I can almost feel the buildup of tension at the end of this chapter, I think we're going to see the pendulum start to swing the other way in the next chapter or two.
I think Dillons and Stephens past are going to be a devisous tool in bringing a twist into the tale. Then again I may be wrong?
Welcome to the historical fiction discussion of Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian.
This is the reading assignment for week seven - (June 14th, 2010 to June 20th, 2010)
This is the second historical fiction group selected book.
We will open up a thread for each week's reading. Please make sure to post in the particular thread dedicated to those specific chapters and page numbers to avoid spoilers if you are catching up.
This book was kicked off on May 3rd.
This discussion is being led by assisting moderator of historical fiction - Elizabeth S.
We always enjoy the participation of all group members. Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other noted on line booksellers do have copies of the book and shipment can be expedited. The book can also be obtained easily at your local library, or on your Kindle.
This thread opens up Monday, June 14th for discussion. This is a non spoiler thread.
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~Bentley
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