Surprise

Surprise is a private man-of-war, owned by Stephen Maturin and then Jack Aubrey She is French-built and has previously been known as L'Unité, Retaliation, and Retribution. Her figure-head is a gilded woman with an ample bosom and a look of surprise on her face. She displaces about six hundred tons, has a crew of about two hundred men, and carries a main armament of twelve-pounder long guns. Her crew is composed of unusually able seamen, many of whom have served under Jack Aubrey for years.

Ringle

Captained by William Reade, the Ringle is fast and has the ability to move in more shallow waters than the Surprise or the flagship, Pomone. Ringle does several scouting missions and a courier mission for Aubrey.

Port Mahon

Port Mahon is where the fleet headed by Admiral Lord Keith is headquartered. Admiral Fanshawe is the admiral in charge of the Port...