The Nutmeg of Consolation by Patrick O'Brian

Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturn are found in the South China Sea at the beginning of The Nutmeg of Consolation by Patrick O'Brian. They get to Batavia where they are given the dutch ship The Nutmeg of Consolation by the Governor , Raffles. The Nutmeg had been sunk because of scurvy and then refloated and refitted. The leave Batavia and want to meet up with the Surprise captained by Tom Pullings. Jack thinks that the Surprise will go north about Borneo into the Sulu Sea and then head south for the Sibutu Passage into the Celebes Sea, then bear away for Salibubu. Jack in the Nutmeg had slow going in the Macassar Strait. Jack heads into the Celebes Sea and sails for the island Nil Desperandum where they hope to come upon the French Cornelie.

At Nil Desperandum the Nutmeg of Consolation meets up with the Surprise. The Nutmeg is sent back to Batavia with the Diane's chief Lieutenant in charge and Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin go onto the Surprise and sail off for Sweetings Island. They do not go through the Torres Strait because of the wind and current and tortuous navigation. After Sweetings Island they turn South to get into the south-east trades and fly down to Sydney Cove, blue water sailing all the way. They intend to pass between the Solomons and the Queen Charlotte Islands and put in at one group to buy pigs. They pass the Angerich Shoal and eventually reach Sydney Cove, the fledgling colony of Australia. The next book is Clarissa Oakes .

There are a number of bits and pieces from The Nutmeg of Consolation that were used in the movie, Master and Commander directed by Peter weir. The first one is where Killick is whingeing about the music played by Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. Killick is saying something like scrape scrape scrape. They are always scraping away and its so annoying etc... That bit is so funny. The second bit is the fake boat antic where the raft is fitted with lights to make the French think that they are following the Surprise while the real ship turns out her lights and goes about and comes up behind the French ship. And the third bit that is taken from the Nutmeg is where in the book, midshipman Reade loses and arm and in the movie Lord Blakeny loses his arm.

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