The Truelove

Aubrey & Maturin in Botany Bay and the South Seas, c. 1812

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This one, titled "The Truelove" in the US and "Clarissa Oakes" in Britain (and the rest of the world?), was rather shortish. I still took quite some time in reading it, however, as I have multiple books going at the same time. A very solid entry into the canon. The heroes start out in New South Wales, at the penal colony, and then set sail for a number of islands in the South Pacific. Clarissa Oakes is a transported stow-away who wins the hearts of the crew. She is allowed to stay aboard when she is married to midshipman William Oakes.

Captain Aubrey gets ordered to settle a dispute between two rival factions living on the island of Moahu, a 'nominally British island south of the Sandwich Islands'. Settle it he does, bringing carronades to a stick fight.

Ouch. They are still cleaning up (and eating) the pieces, no doubt.