The Commodore, by Patrikck O'Brian


Tracing the Geography of The Commodore, by Patrick O'Brian

The Commodore is the seventeenth book in the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian. This was the second time I have read it, the first time was in 1996.
I have been trying to follow the geography this time through.
When the book begins, they are just entering the English Channel from the Atlantic. This map was found at encarta.msn.com.


The Surpise goes to Shelmerston, a fictional port on the channel, probably in Cornwall, perhaps somewhere west of Plymouth. The Ringle, carrying Dr. Maturin, continues up the Channel, through the Strait of Dover into the Thames.


From there, they go up the Thames and into the Pool of London, tharea of the Thames just downstream from the London Bridge, near Wapping. This map was found at the UCLA Dept. of Epidemiology.


Once in London, Maturin visits the Admiralty in Whitehall.


Maturin, as usual, stays at the Grapes in the Liberty of the Savoy.


Maturin then goes to Aubrey' farm Ashdown in Hampshire near Portsmouth, and also to Barham Downs, where Diana raises arabians, also in Hampshire and most likely nearby to Ashdown.
Aubrey and Maturin then report aboard the Bellona at Portsmouth.
Maturin makes a quick trip to Blaine's farm, also in Hampshire. Although the location is not specified, it is somewhere in the neighborhood of Liss, Hampshire.
Maturin reports back to the Bellona, in Portsmouth, but soon after he takes the Ringle for a quick trip to London - as before the trip is through the Dover strait, then up into the Thames to the Pool of London. On their return, adverse winds keep them in the Channel near Deal for some time.



Eventually the winds do allow them through the Strait of Dover, and they return to the fictional Shelmerston, somewhere in the West Country. Maturin makes a quick trip to Barham Downs, picking up Clarissa, Brigid, and Padeen. They go back to Shelmerston, and board the Ringle.
The Ringle takes them down the English Channel, and turns south going around Ushant and into the Bay of Biscay until they reach the port of Corunna (La Coruna) in northern Spain.


The Ringle continues south, catching up with the Bellona at the Berlings (Ilha Berlenga), near Peniche in Portugal.

The Bellona now sails to Freetown, Sierra Leone, then along the African coast from Cape Palmas to the Bight of Benin.

They spend some time at Freetown, in Sierra Leone (where Stephen meets Christine).


They sail on into the Grain Coast, now Liberia.


Near Philip's Island, Maturin travels up the Sinen River (now the Sinoe River) where he gathers specimens and catches yellow fever.



They go past the Ivory Coast (now Cote d'Ivoire), the Gold Coast, the Cape Coast and the Slave Coast in the Bight of Benin, finally making a raid on Whydah (now Ouidah), in Benin.



Leaving Whydah, they return to Freetown. At this point they receive new orders, and go to meet a French squadron headed for Ireland (they are to meet in the open Atlantic off the coast of Northern Spain. They follow the squadron, and engage them in Bantry Bay, Ireland.


Maturin takes a chaise to Drimleague, where Diana is staying, and the book ends there.

Here are my earlier posts on books by Patrick O'Brian
HMS Surprise and The Mauritius Command
Desolation Island
The Fortune of War
The Surgeon's Mate
The Ionian Mission
Treason's Harbour
The Far Side of the World
The Reverse of the Medal
The Letter of Marque
The Thirteen Gun Salute
The Nutmeg of Consolation
The Truelove
The Wine Dark Sea

Posted: Sun - February 8, 2004 at 07:58 PM          

©