Chapter 10 Summary

Leopard unloads all her stores and easily repairs her hull. Desolation Island is plentiful in meat, eggs, and cabbage. While the crew works, Maturin visits a small island in the bay—it is so encumbered of strange life that Maturin christens it Paradise. He is usually accompanied by Bonden, Herapath, or both. Herapath often, however, takes advantage of Maturin's absence to dote upon Wogan and their romantic relationship blooms further. Once the hull is repaired, Aubrey attempts to remount a rudder—however, the ship's forge had been cast overboard to lighten ship during the chase of Waakhaamzeid. Without the forge, new iron straps and pins cannot be fashioned. After several failures, Aubrey prepares to over-winter and await eventual rescue. Fortunately, however, the American brig whaler La Fayette calls on Desolation Island to resupply with cabbage.

La Fayette has a forge but...