Aubrey/Maturin Read-along Update: Master and Commander Chapter 3
Welcome to week three of the Aubrey/Maturin Chapter-a-Week 4 Year Read-along Odyssey. This post gives you an opportunity to share your thoughts, quotes, and questions about chapter three of Master and Commander.
Quote of the Week
“He looked over those miles of sea to windward — perfectly clear. Not a sail, not the slightest break on the tight light of the horizon. The topgallant sail above him was suddenly golden: then two points on the larboard bow, in the mounting blaze of light, the sun thrust up its blinding rim. For a prolonged moment, Jack alone was sunlit, picked out: then the light reached the topsail, travelled down it, took in the peak of the boom mainsail and so reached the deck, flooding it from stem to stern. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurred his vision, overspilt, rolled down his cheeks: they did not use themselves up in lines upon his face but dropped, two, four six, eight, round drops slanting away through the warm golden air to leeward.”
This is a perfect example of why I love the Aubrey/Maturin series so much: the poetry of its language and its ability to transport me to an experience I would likely never be able to have otherwise.
Where are Jack and Stephen this week?
Jack and Stephen are on board the Sophie, which has left Port Mahon and is traveling eastward from Minorca:
“Two bells in the morning watch found the Sophie sailing steadily eastward along the thirty-ninth parallel with the wind just abaft her beam…”
Term of the Week: The Maintop
In chapter three, both Jack and Stephen climb up into the maintop at different times. Jack climbs aloft and basks in the joy of his new command. Young Mowett takes Stephen up to the maintop as part of his tour of the Sophie.
“The top on a traditional square rigged ship, is the platform at the upper end of each (lower) mast” (Wikipedia). The maintop would be the top on the mainmast, or the central mast of the ship.
Here’s a video demonstrating what it’s like to climb up to the top of a ship:
Your Turn
Leave a comment with an insight, question, or favorite line from the past week. Please refrain from any spoilers.
I enjoyed chapter 3. I have some unanswered questions but that is what it is all about. I was getting a little overwhelmed by nautical terms in this chapter but I plan to look up some selections to see if that helps. So far, I am doing fine with a slow read.
I have been listening to a podcast talking about every single episode of The West Wing. The coined a phrase for an exposition scene where Josh would explain to Donna what was happening – her full name is Donatella, so they renamed these scenes “telladonna’s”.
As I was reading Stephen’s tour of the Sophie, I found myself saying, ‘this is a telladonna’.
When I read this the first time around (20 yrs ago) I struggled with all the terminology, like Tracy, but this time, I almost understood everything Mowatt said!
I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter as an insight into the rigging and life, personalities on a ship. POB is a master of the art of dialogue internal and external. The conversation between the enthusiastic Mowett and Stephen’s distracted responses, his mind on Ireland; the dinner, and discussion; Dillon’s description of the Dart action. Even the smallest scene – You are cruel, Mowett – is written in such an easy, natural, flowing style that puts flesh, blood, and bone to the character and puts you smack dab in the book, sitting in the maintop, at the table. I don’t understand why some say skip this book, as a familiarization with ship, surroundings, the people, it’s foundational. And again, a Sea of Words is an enormous help, even if it didn’t tell me what is exactly meant by “Araby left at the post”, among other examples. I like that POB makes me work to follow him. As an aside, mused that some things really have not changed in the Navy; sailors are still wary of ships with an unhappy reputation; I’ve sympathized with young officers sweating in preparation for command boards, still a very valid way of testing if they have the brains and mettle for leadership at sea, “it needs a headpiece and true bottom and steadiness, as well as conduct, to be the captain of a man–o’-war…” as Mr. Ricketts says. Truer words. Thanks for the great video by the way, now I can really picture how they swarm up futtock-shrouds as well as appreciate that grand view Stephen loves so much.