At first he had wondered at the absence of kites - of royals, studdingsails in all their interesting variety - and the frigate's placid advance had vexed him to the soul, until reflection told him that Jack Aubrey understood his profession as well as any man afloat, that he was perfectly well acquainted with the relative positions of Arzila and ( Read more... )

Yahya ben Khaled, who is in command, means to pass the Strait, unless there is a very strong'east wind in his teeth, on Friday night, a night of complete darkness, to make straight for Durazzo, deliver his gold - he has given his parents, wives and children as sureties - take his tenth part and return, using his great strength against all the ( Read more... )

This was the kind of sailing that Stephen liked: with a gentle breeze a little north of east the *Surprise*, with her tender under her lee, made a steady four and a half knots under all plain sail or a trifle less, with a pitch and roll that he scarcely noticed.I think that would be the kind of sailing that I’d like too ( Read more... )