Chapter 2 Summary

Surprise and Pomone go out to sea to practice gunnery. The crew on the Pomone are for the most part quite inexperienced and though they try to give a good showing, they are quite outclassed by the Surprise. Pomone is already reeling from the loss of her Captain, who is laid up with a broken leg and one of her officers who is dismissed from the service under the charges of sodomy, though he is found guilty of the lesser charge of undesirable conduct. Additionally, the Pomone is understaffed, the remedy hopefully coming shortly by the impressment of crew off some merchant vessels. The other vessels in the squadron are in various degrees of readiness, but none as bad off as the Pomone.

Aubrey arrives back in his quarters aboard Surprise to find Dr. Maturin with his musical score spread over the desk and Aubrey's paperwork heaped...