The Mauritius Command

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Title The Mauritius Command
Cover by Geoff Hunt for The Mauritius Command.
Author Patrick O'Brian
Cover artist Geoff Hunt
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series Aubrey-Maturin series
Genre(s) Historical novel
Publisher Harper Collins (UK)
Released 1977
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) & Audio Book (Cassette, CD)
Pages 294 pages (Hardback edition) & 268 pages (Paperback edition)
ISBN ISBN 0-00-222383-X (Hardback edition) & ISBN 0-00-615348-8 (Paperback edition UK)
Preceded by HMS Surprise
Followed by Desolation Island
This book is part of the Aubrey-Maturin series

The Mauritius Command is a historical naval novel by Patrick O'Brian. It is fourth in the series of stories that follow the partnership of Captain Jack Aubrey and the naval surgeon Stephen Maturin. It retells in fictional form the real campaign carried out by the Royal Navy in 1810 under Commodore Josias Rowley. As is common to most of the stories, Aubrey's inspired tactical seamanship is a suitable foil for the dramatic and "Machiavellian" scheming of his medical man and intelligence expert Maturin. Both Britain and France need to protect their trade routes and prey on the enemy in the Indian Ocean. Mauritius and La Réunion are suitably placed to be desirable bases for both countries. At the start of the book the French hold the islands and are capturing British ships.

Contents

[edit] Plot introduction

The novel sees Aubrey made Commodore in charge of a squadron of ships sent to take the islands of Mauritius and Réunion from the French, and so protect British shipping interests in the Indian Ocean.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

When the novel begins, Aubrey is at home in his cramped Ashgrove Cottage with his wife, his twin baby girls and her mother, ashore and without a ship on half pay from the Navy. His spirits are lifted when his long time friend and colleague Stephen Maturin comes to call.

Aubrey is ordered to take command, as the Commodore of a small squadron of ships in Portsmouth and sail south to the Cape of Good Hope and into the Indian Ocean, with instructions to disrupt French interests in the region. Particularly he is charged with taking the islands of Mauritius and La Réunion. He is given command of the 38-gun frigate HMS Boadicea. The wife of one of his captains, Lady Clonfert, seeks passage with Aubrey to enable her to join her husband. But Aubrey is not keen on this and contrives to leave early one morning without her.

The long journey takes the squadron to the Cape of Good Hope. On the way Aubrey attempts to bring the crew up to his standards of efficiency, but he is only partly successful. They meet with the French ship Hebe which is escorting a captured merchant ship. After a brief chase the French are overcome and the ships occupied. Hebe turns out to be HMS Hyaena captured some time before by the French. He sends the prizes to Gibraltar under the command of the Boadicea's First Lieutenant Akers. Aubrey uses this device to be rid of the officer and send home letters, one of which attempts to excuse his leaving early without Lady Clonfert.

On arrival, Aubrey also has to contend with the disparate characters of his commanders. Lord Clonfert, a minor member of the aristocracy who has political influence, and Captain Corbett who is a harsh disciplinarian. Corbett drives his men almost to the point of mutiny.

During his campaign Aubrey temporarily switches his pennant to the elderly 64-gun ship of the line HMS Raisonnable, but returns to the more weatherly HMS Boadicea with the onset of the tropical typhoon season. La Réunion is captured almost bloodlessly after a landing by British East India Company troops under the cooperative Colonel Keating. Their path has been softened up by Maturin's propaganda and political machinations.

Mauritius proves a tougher nut to crack. As HMS Néréide is detached to chase the Iphigenia to Port South East on Mauritius, Maturin suffers a serious fall and spends much time in the company of Lord Clonfert and Mr. McAdam, Clonfert's surgeon. The first demonstrates himself to be a largely ineffective person, craving the fawning attentions of others, whilst McAdam, a less convivial conversationalist, is made fun of by many of the officers particularly when found "in his cups."

But things go far worse on arrival. Keen to capitalise on the capture of the Ile de la Passe fort, the small group of ships land man and troops to consolidate the land campaign. Whilst so disposed the French appear with four ships Bellone, Minerve, Victor & Ceylon. Boldly sailing past the British into the sound, the English are caught unprepared but decide on an attack. They struggle to navigate the unfamiliar channel into the harbour. Two ships run aground, the French are able to bring all their guns to bear on the ships that do manage to reach the harbour. The end result is the Néréide is taken, Sirius and Magiciénne are burnt to prevent their capture, and Iphigenia and the fort Ile de la Passe are abandoned to be retaken by the French. Only a messenger vessel, with Maturin aboard, gets back the La Réunion to inform the commodore of the "ill tidings".

Aubrey immediately rushes to see if Iphigenia and Ile de la Passe can be saved but the British are chased off after finding both are clearly in the French hands.

After eventually making contact with the Emma transport and the Windham which itself appears to be unseaworthy, Aubrey believes his fortunes have changed when HMS Africaine now commanded by Captain Corbett joins them. Sailing in chase of the French during the night Africaine, clashes with the Astrée and the renamed Iphigenia (now again the Iphigenie). But the encounter goes badly and Corbett is killed during the fight, probably by his own oppressed men. The French capture the ship, but leave it dismasted when the Boadicea and Aubrey bear down on them. Joined by the Otter and Staunch, the flotilla eventually reaches harbour and Africaine's refit is top priority.

Before repairs are complete the Pearl races towards harbour, meeting HMS Boadicea with the news that Bombay is nearby, being pounded by both the French Vénus and Victor. Outrunning the Staunch and Otter, Jack engages the pair who have captured Bombay. He makes use of extra volunteer crew from the refitting HMS Africaine to board both Bombay, recapturing her, and the Venus. During the encounter the French Commodore Hamelin is killed by the first sweeping broadside of the engagement. Now with news that Bellone and Minerve are almost certain "heaved down" and Iphigenia and Néréide are likely to be of little use even if refitted, the tide really appears to have turned in Aubrey's favour.

En-route from St. Denis to take Mauritius from the French, the squadron encounters a large British force under the command of Admiral Bertie, who proceeds to steal Aubrey and Keating's thunder by taking command of the whole invasion force and claiming the honours. However, news of the birth of his son causes Aubrey to remain ebullient even when everyone expects his mood to be downcast.

The final invasion is almost without bloodshed, the French capitulate and Maturin finds that Captain Clonfert has committed suicide by removing the bandages from his wounds whilst captured. Aubrey is ordered to take the dispatches aboard the Boadicea and sail for England a considerable honour which Bertie gives him as compensation for "stealing" his victory.

[edit] Characters in "The Mauritius Command"

See also Recurring characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series

  • Jack Aubrey - Captain in the Royal Navy and appointed Commodore during this story. Also captain of HMS Boadicea.
  • Stephen Maturin - ship's surgeon, friend to Jack, and intelligence officer.
  • Captain Pym - captain of HMS Sirius
  • Lord Clonfert - captain of HMS Otter and then HMS Néréide
  • Captain Corbett - captain of HMS Néréide and then HMS 'Africaine
  • Lady Clonfert - wife to the above, wanted passage with the squadron
  • Captain Eliot - captain in HMS Raisonnable
  • Mrs. Williams - Jack's mother in law, now bankrupt.
  • Sophie Aubrey - Jack's long suffering and patient wife.
  • Bessie - cook at Ashgrove Cottage
  • Diana Villiers - Stephen's love interest
  • Lt. Colonel H Keating - army commander
  • Colonel Fraser
  • Colonel McLeod
  • Tom Pullings
  • Mr. Farquhar - temporary governor of La Réunion
  • Mr. John Fellowes - Bosun
  • Bonden - Jack's Coxswain
  • Colonel Saint-Susanne - French army commander on La Réunion
  • Killick - Jack's steward
  • Captain Lambert -
  • Captain Curtis -
  • Hamelin - French commodore, based in the Vénus
  • Lord Narborough (Garron) - captain of HMS Staunch
  • Lt. Webber - 2nd in HMS Néréide
  • Lt. Lemuel Akers - 1st in HMS Boadicea detached to sail HMS Hyaena to Gibraltar.
  • Duvallier - French commander in Port South East
  • McAdams - Surgeon in HMS Néréide
  • Mr. Satterly - Master in HMS Néréide
  • L.t. Seymour - 2nd in HMS Boadicea (acting 1st)
  • L.t. Trollope- 3rd in HMS Boadicea (acting 2nd)
  • Johnson - master's mate in HMS Boadicea
  • Admiral Bertie - who calls a halt to independence of the Squadron
  • General Abercrombie - commander of the invasion army
  • Golovnin - Russian fleet lieutenant, captain of sloop Diana

[edit] Ships in "The Mauritius Command"

[edit] The Squadron

[edit] The French

  • Bellone *
  • Minerve * - frigate
  • Victor * - corvette
  • Ceylon * - captured British Indiaman
  • Wyndham * - captured British Indiaman
  • Vénus - frigate
  • Manche - frigate
  • Astrée
* n.b. were real ships during the period depicted.

[edit] Major themes

The novel is based upon a real campaign carried out by the Royal Navy in 1810 under Commodore Josias Rowley.

The novel gives further scope to Maturin's role as both a secret agent (in which he uses propaganda effectively to support the campaign) and as a naturalist (in which he is seen collecting relics of the extinct birds the Dodo and the Solitaire).

O'Brian used literary license in making Aubrey a Commodore when he wasn't a very senior captain. At that time, a captain would spend twenty years or more on the Captain's list before his promotion to Admiral. A Commodore's appointment was a considerable plum, and only very senior captains received them. On a remote station, when an admiral would have to draw on the captains on station, it would be a different matter. But Aubrey was appointed directly by the Admiralty to a post that, traditionally, would have come to an officer more than a dozen years more senior.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Allusions/references to other works

The plot of the novel is very closely based upon a real campaign carried out by the Royal Navy in 1810 under Commodore Josias Rowley. O'Brian notes this in the preface. The island was formally captured on 3 December 1810 (See also History of Mauritius.)

Dotted around the story are allusions to ideas and thinking of others. But most striking is when a character actually quotes from literature. At one point Aubrey is recorded "adding, not without pride, Ex Africa surgit semper aliquid novo, – novi, eh?" ("Always something new coming out of Africa".) This is the popular version of a quotation from Pliny the Elder, "unde etiam vulgare Graeciae dictum semper aliquid novi Africam adferre" [1] – "Whence the common saying among the Greeks, 'Africa always offers something new'."

Later Maturin is found quoting, Samuel Johnson, "Every man would be a coward if he durst" [2]

Throughout we have allusions and quotes from Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll and Horace. [3]

[edit] Literary significance & criticism

"Jack's assignment: to capture the Indian Ocean islands of Réunion and Mauritius from the French. That campaign forms the narrative thread of this rollicking sea saga. But its substance is more beguiling still..."—Elizabeth Peer, Newsweek [4]

[edit] Reviews

[edit] Release details

  • 1977, UK, Collins Publishers (ISBN 0-00-222383-X), Pub Date ? ? 1977, Hardcover
  • 1978, UK, Fontana (ISBN 0-00-615348-8), Pub Date ? May 1978, Paperback
  • 1978, USA, Stein & Day (ISBN 0-8128-2476-8), Pub Date ? May 1978, Hardcover edition
  • 1989, UK, Fontana (ISBN 0-00-616574-5), Pub Date 9 February 1989, Paperback
  • 1991, USA, W. W. Norton & Company (ISBN 0-393-30762-X), Pub date ? May 1991, Paperback Reprint edition
  • 1992, USA, William A. Thomas Braille Bookstore (ISBN 1-56956-071-4), Pub date ? December 1992, Hardcover edition
  • 1993, UK, ISIS Audio Books (ISBN 1-85089-871-5), Pub date ? April 1993, Audio book (Cassette), Patrick Tull (Narrator)
  • 1994, USA, W. W. Norton & Company (ISBN 0-393-03704-5), Pub date ? ? 1994, Hardcover Reprint edition
  • 1996, UK, Harper Collins (ISBN 0-00-649918-X), Pub date 2 September 1996, Paperback
  • 1997, UK, Harper Collins (ISBN 0-00-105295-0), Pub date 20 January 1997, Audio book (Cassette), Robert Hardy (Narrator)
  • 2000, USA, Thorndike Press (ISBN 0-7862-1935-1), Pub Date ? November 2000, Hardcover
  • 2001, UK, Chivers (ISBN 0-7540-1519-X), Pub date 1 March 2001, Hardcover Large-print edition
  • 2001, UK, Recorded Books Unabridged (ISBN 1-4025-0223-0), Pub date ? September 2001, Recorded unknown, Patrick Tull (Narrator)
  • 2001, UK, Chivers (ISBN 0-7540-2398-2), Pub date 1 December 2001, Paperback Large-print edition
  • 2002, UK, Soundings (ISBN 1-84283-263-8), Pub date ? September 2002, Audio book (CD), Stephen Thorne (Narrator)
  • 2004, USA, Blackstone Audiobooks (ISBN 0-7861-8562-7), Unabridged audio edition, Pub date August 2004, MP3 CD, Simon Vance (Narrator)
  • 2004, USA, Blackstone Audiobooks (ISBN 0-7861-8459-0), Unabridged audio edition, Pub date August 2004, MP3 CD, Simon Vance (Narrator)

[edit] Sources, references, external links, quotations

  • Richard O'Neill (2003). Patrick O'Brian's Navy: The Illustrated Companion to Jack Aubrey's World. Running Press. ISBN 0-7624-1540-1. 
  • Dean King (2001). A Sea of Words: Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales. Henry Holt. ISBN 0-8050-6615-2. 
  • Dean King (2001). Harbors and High Seas: Map Book and Geographical Guide to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian. Henry Holt. ISBN 0-8050-6614-4. 
  • Brian Lavery (2003). Jack Aubrey Commands: An Historical Companion to the Naval World of Patrick O'Brian. Conway Maritime. ISBN 0-85177-946-8. 
  • Anne Chotzinoff Grossman, Lisa Grossman Thomas (2000). Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which Is a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels. W W Norton & Co Ltd. ISBN 0-393-32094-4. 
  • David Miller (2003). The World of Jack Aubrey: Twelve-Pounders, Frigates, Cutlasses, and Insignia of His Majesty's Royal Navy. Running Press Book Publishers. ISBN 0-7624-1652-1. 
  • A.E. Cunningham (Editor) (1994). Patrick O'Brian: A Bibliography and Critical Appreciation. British Library Publishing Division. ISBN 0-7123-1071-1. 

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 8, xvii : (incorrectly) referenced here. Pliny was talking about lions at the time.
  2. ^ Samuel Johnson, Lives of thePoets, on Rochester : again referenced here
  3. ^ general literary allusions link
  4. ^ quoted on WW Norton site


Patrick O'Brian
Characters: Jack Aubrey | Stephen Maturin
Aubrey-Maturin series: Master and Commander | Post Captain | HMS Surprise | The Mauritius Command | Desolation Island | The Fortune of War | The Surgeon's Mate | The Ionian Mission | Treason's Harbour | The Far Side of the World | The Reverse of the Medal | The Letter of Marque | The Thirteen-Gun Salute | The Nutmeg of Consolation | Clarissa Oakes | The Wine-Dark Sea | The Commodore | The Yellow Admiral | The Hundred Days | Blue at the Mizzen | The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey
Other Novels: Caesar | Hussein | Testimonies | The Catalans | The Golden Ocean | The Unknown Shore | Richard O'Brian | The Rendezvous and other stories
Non-Fiction: Men-of-War: Life in Nelson's Navy | Picasso | Joseph Banks: A Life
Biographies of O'Brian: Patrick O'Brian - A life revealed | Patrick O'Brian: The Making of the Novelist | Patrick O'Brian: A Bibliography and Critical Appreciation
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