Chapters 3 and 4 Summary

The old crewmates from Leopard have all taken passage in the same boat and they are joined by a few men from La Flèche. The first night in the boats foul weather separates all the craft and thus Aubrey and his boat are isolated. They begin to sail for Brazil and ration food and water. The boat is eighteen feet long and holds thirteen men, including Aubrey, Maturin, lieutenants Babbington and Byron, midshipmen Forshaw, Holles, and Peters, Bonden, Killick, one unnamed seaman, and, from La Flèche, Harboard and Raikes. After several days in the heat and sun dehydration becomes acute and starvation seems a real possibility. Once a sail is sighted and the boat closes by rowing but they are not seen and the ship sails away. That night Raikes, exhausted from rowing, dies. Maturin begins to have prolonged...