The Golden Ocean by Patrick O'Brian

The Golden Ocean by Patrick O'Brian

Admiral Anson's journey around the world in 1740 is Patrick o'Brian's inspiration for this historical sea novel of the 18th Century Naval Sailing ships. They set off in the Centurion from Portsmouth and then sail via Funchal , then Madeira, 24d 10'S, 38d 52'W , then Santa Catarina Harbour in Brazil. A sloop, the Tryal was with them as well as the Gloucester, the Pearl and the Wager. On march 5th they were at 53d 32'S. They have a council of war and they are going to attach Baldavia. They sail for St Julian's Bay from 70-74dW and they come into the Magellan Straits entrance at Cape Virgin Mary. They are in Tierra del Fuego and on the other side is the Pacific Ocean. They draw close to Staten Island them sail for the Strait le Maire and enter it with a rushing tide and then get pushed back into the Atlantic Ocean by the huge tide for a long time.

On April 13 at Cape Noir they start to suffer from scurvy. They have lost the Pearl and the Severn. They took 38 days to beat around the Horn. So they sail north up the coast of Chile with the Gloucester, Tryal, Wager, and the Anna pumping the water out day and night. Their course out of the strait of Magellan is North north west. They reach the island of Socorro, their rendezvous point with the other ships. After that , they sail for Juan Fernandez Island where they meet up with the Tryal on June 12, captained by Saunders, a lieutenant, and 3 men. In August, the Centurion, Gloucester, Tryal have lost half their men. The wager, Severn and Pearl are still lost. They capture a Spanish ship, then they sail up and down the coasts of Chile and Peru, passing the islands of Gallan, Morro Viejo and Cape Barranca. They are now 50 days out of Juan Fernandez.

They take the treasure of Paita and then plot to capture the Acupulco-Manila Galleon that sails between 150 and 140 degreees Longitude west. Cape Corrientes is 700 miles to the north and they arrive at Acupulco to the north. They send the barge in to the harbour to find out what they can. They sit out beyond the horizon and wait for the galleon to sail, but she will not, so they head west to cross the Pacific Ocean. They have to burn the Gloucester.

On September 3rd, they arrive at Tinian Island and set about replenishing stores and water and refitting the ship. A cyclone comes and the Centurion gets lost during the high winds. The sailors left on the island cut the old Spanish Bark in half and start to lengthen it. Before they finish, the Centurion comes back all beaten up. They fix her up and head off and sail to Formosa. They go on pas Pedro Blanco, pick up a Chinese pilot and sail for macao. After they leave Macao, they head east for Manila and intend to wait for the Acupulco Galleon. with its millions in gold and silver. They wait off Cape Espiritu Santo and cruise up and down the coast. The galleon Cobadonga does come and they capture her after a brisk engagement. The Cobadonga had 42 carriage guns, 28 patereros, and 4 pounders in the tops. She carried more than a million pieces of eight and 35,000 ounces of silver. After their victory, they head back to Macao, then through the Sunda Straits, Prince's Island, Cape Town, St Helena, then make the Spithead at Portsmouth, then to a triumphant procession to and through London showing off their treasure. The Golden Ocean by Patrick O'Brian is a fitting start to an illustrious career and shows some of the promise of the later Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian.

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