Carry On, Mr. Bowditch: Chapters 14–19

He knew Lem Harvey—a huge fellow with hulking shoulders and a sullen, swarthy face.

He scowled, his heavy black brows coming together over his sullen eyes.

Between spates of profanity, the directions were exact...

He drew rough sketches of things he wanted to remember—the tawny oxen that looked so fierce—with their six-foot spread of horns; the amazing women of Portugal, who carried everything on their heads—boxes, baskets, and huge flat trays of fish.

When Captain Prince and Nat went ashore, the first man to greet them was Mr. Pintard, the American consul.

Lem glowered and muttered under his breath.

It was almost a relief one day when a sudden squall hit them and had the men fighting like demons to reef sails before the masts snapped.

When he spoke his words were respectful, but there was the undercurrent of a sneer in his voice.

Tom Owens reached a calloused hand and almost broke Nat’s fingers with his grip.

Tom mustered a grin, “I’m just talking for myself, Lem.”

The lookout had never seen the colors before. An ensign with the Union Jack, and red and white stripes.

The rigging went slack, tar melted and dripped, the wind died to fitful breezes.

Men pumped endless buckets of water and carried them aloft to douse the sails so they would catch what little breeze blew.

In the darkness they could see millions of tiny glowing specks dashing about in the water. "Phosphorescence,” he said.

With every sail spread and bellying taut, the Astrea moved sluggishly against the current.

“See those bamboo logs athwart the boat, fore and aft, sticking out over the water, with the other logs joining their ends?”

He knew he slept with one ear cocked for the pell-mell thud of feet overhead, and the cry, “All hands on deck!”

To an active external Commerce, the protection of a Naval force is indispensable.

...it is in our experience that the most sincere Neutrality is not a sufficient guard against the depredations of Nations at War.

To secure respect to a Neutral Flag, requires a Naval force, organized, and ready to vindicate it from insult or aggression.

“Do you know who compiled that table? Nevil Maskelyne! The royal astronomer of England! You’d be as apt to find a mistake in—well—in Newton’s Principia!”

The next night, after he had visited Cadiz, he had things he could tell her, too—about the city of stone, built on a rocky promontory, jutting out into the blue sea.

"Nelson has trounced Napoleon’s fleet! In the mouth of the Nile! We’ve got him now! Bottled up in Africa!”

So the Astrea, and some four hundred other vessels, started in a vast convoy, guarded by British warships.

They’re too heavy laden to keep up.

They left the protection of the convoy and headed back toward the floundering little vessels.

It had been consumption. “It takes more people than the sea, doesn’t it, Nat? I wonder if doctors will ever find a way to conquer it—the way they are conquering smallpox?”

It was more than a week later before Nat got around to what he had wanted to tell Elizabeth’s mother—about returning the dowry. “We had such a short time together. I don’t deserve to keep anything.”

Step forth and give your assistance in building the Frigate to oppose French insolence and piracy.

Let every man in possession of a White Oak Tree be ambitious to be foremost in hurrying down the timber to Salem, and fill the complement wanting, where the noble structure is to be fabricated, to maintain your rights upon the Seas, and make the name of America respected among the nations of the world.

Four trees are wanted for the Keel, which all together will measure 146 feet in length, and hew 16 inches square.

Four trees are wanted for the Keel, which all together will measure 146 feet in length, and hew 16 inches square.

Dr. Bentley stared at the hull that was taking shape.

"We’ll find a better lot.” But when they had scoured the waterfront boardinghouses, Prince shook his head over their scourings.

We can rest easy…With a dozen men who probably hated the sight of their captain? With a dozen landlubbers whose only recommendation for the sea was that they had failed on land?