Flame

Flame is a brig, or two-masted ship of slight draft and fairly light tonnage. She is flush-decked with a single gun deck sporting sixteen carronades. Two long guns are mounted as bow chasers. All aspects of the ship's design focus on enabling her to carry a maximum weight of weapons in a vessel of shallow draft. Comfort is entirely sacrificed to efficiency. Prior to the opening of the novel, Flame's crew has conducted a mutiny against the sadistic Captain Chadwick. Hornblower is sent out to capture Flame and suppress the mutiny—in this, he is remarkably successful. After being retaken, Flame plays only a minor role in the novel.

Porta Coeli

Porta Coeli, like Flame, is a brig, or two-masted ship of slight draft and fairly light tonnage. She is flush-decked and has a single gun deck, about five feet high. The lack of a quarterdeck...