Hornblower and the Cargo of Rice Summary

During a complicated engagement at sea, Indefatigable captures several merchant vessels necessitating the dispatch of several prize crews. One merchant ship, the brig Marie Galante, attempts to flee. Indefatigable fires a few cannon at the brig, causing it to heave to and surrender. Hornblower is assigned to command a prize crew of four men, including Matthews, Hunter, and Carson. They board Marie Galante. His orders are to take the brig into the nearest English port. The French crew and captain are secured in the forecastle. Hornblower appoints Matthews as an acting officer and sets the prize crew to work repairing the rigging damage caused by Indefatigable's cannon. Hornblower calculates his current position on captured charts and then lays off a course for England.

The night passes uneventfully but the brig seems to handle...