OOC: secondary source on Sam Panda
For y'all in chat... here is the summary on Sam Panda, from Persons, Animals, Ships and Cannon in the Aubrey-Maturin Sea Novels:
Panda, Sam
Jack Aubrey's natural, black son from his youthful liaison with Sally Mputa. Looking for his father, he has visited Sophie Aubrey in England and now, en route to Brazil, meets Jack by chance in Barbados, where he strikes up a friendship with his fellow-Catholic Stephen Maturin, revealing his desire to be ordained priest (RM 1). Later Sophie confesses to a liking for Sam, although she stops short of specifically acknowledging him as her husband's son (RM 6). At first able only to enter minor orders owing to his bastardy (TGS 1), Sam is now about to be ordained full priest through Stephen's influence in Rome (TGS 3; NC 7). In this new capacity he moves from Brazil to Peru, where he becomes confidential secretary to the pro-independence Vicar-General, O'Higgins (WDS 6,7). Having helped Stephen to set up the planned rebellion, on its later collapse in disarray he is able to tell Jack of Stephen's escape and whereabouts (WDS 9; also COM 5).
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Panda, Sam
Jack Aubrey's natural, black son from his youthful liaison with Sally Mputa. Looking for his father, he has visited Sophie Aubrey in England and now, en route to Brazil, meets Jack by chance in Barbados, where he strikes up a friendship with his fellow-Catholic Stephen Maturin, revealing his desire to be ordained priest (RM 1). Later Sophie confesses to a liking for Sam, although she stops short of specifically acknowledging him as her husband's son (RM 6). At first able only to enter minor orders owing to his bastardy (TGS 1), Sam is now about to be ordained full priest through Stephen's influence in Rome (TGS 3; NC 7). In this new capacity he moves from Brazil to Peru, where he becomes confidential secretary to the pro-independence Vicar-General, O'Higgins (WDS 6,7). Having helped Stephen to set up the planned rebellion, on its later collapse in disarray he is able to tell Jack of Stephen's escape and whereabouts (WDS 9; also COM 5).
(247-8)