The Mauritius Command is the fourth naval historical novel in the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian, first published in 1977.
Aubrey is married and the father of twin girls, owner of a cottage with a fine observatory he built. He is more than ready to be back at sea. He and Stephen Maturin join a convoy charged with taking two strategic islands in the Indian Ocean from the French. The mission provides scope for each man to advance in his specialty.
A review written at first publication found the novel to be written in "language deep with detail and the poetry of fact", appreciating the period detail. A later review, written at the reissue, finds the author a graceful writer but sees a difficulty with the novel's structure, building to climaxes that do not occur. Others writing at that time saw the novel more as part of the longer series, with humour, erudition and "impeccable period detail".
Plot summary Four years after the events of HMS Surprise, Jack Aubrey and Sophia Williams are married and the parents of twin girls. They live at Ashgrove Cottage on his half-pay, which is not enough to support fellow navy men in the household. Sophia's mother has lost her money, including Sophia's portion, and now lives with them, along with Sophia's niece Cecelia.
When Stephen Maturin comes to call, Jack admits to him that as much as he loves his family he is eager to return to sea again. Stephen mentions that he has recommended Jack to lead a new secret commission being planned by the Admiralty. Moments later, a courier delivers Aubrey's orders from the port Admiral. Jack is given command of the 38-gun frigate HMS Boadicea and requested to depart immediately for Plymouth, where he picks up Mr R T Farquhar, a diplomat, and receives further orders to sail to the British station at Cape Town, where the ships of a convoy destined for the Indian Ocean will meet. Not long after embarking, they meet the French ship Hébé escorting a captured merchant ship. The Boadicea captures both ships, and Jack sends the prizes to Gibraltar. The timely capture gives Boadicea the opportunity to send letters home, and the ship gains a French cook and the Hébé English prisoners, all able seamen. The long journey south through the Atlantic gives Jack time to bring the crew of the Boadicea up to his standards of efficiency in gunnery and gives Maturin and Farquhar time to develop their political strategies.
At Cape Town, Aubrey meets Admiral Bertie, who confirms Aubrey's elevation to Commodore and authorises him to hoist his broad pendant ('broad pennant' in some editions) as commander of a small fleet with formal orders to disrupt French interests in the Indian Ocean and ultimately to capture the French-held islands of Mauritius and La Réunion. British stations in the region are short of ships and men, leaving the expedition poorly matched against the local French forces. Jack's subordinate captains include Lord Clonfert of the Otter, an insecure Englishman with an Irish title; Captain Corbett of the Néréide, whose reputation for excessive flogging has left his ship severely undermanned; and Captain Pym of the Sirius. Jack learns that his loyal coxswain Bonden and steward Killick sailed from the West Indies under Corbett, so he trades men with Néréide to bring them aboard Boadicea. Bertie advises Aubrey that none of his captains are on good terms with each other.
For the first 2,000 miles of the voyage to the islands, Jack switches his pendant to the elderly 64-gun ship of the line HMS Raisonnable. The Caroline is taken and renamed HMS Bourbonnaise, and Corbett sails her with despatches to Cape Town and England. The rest of the convoy returns to Cape Town. Jack shifts back to Boadicea and sails again upon hearing that more merchant ships have been taken by the French. The convoy is caught in a major tropical cyclone, whence it sails back to Cape Town for repairs, receiving the first mail in many months; Sophia's letters are water-damaged, and Jack tries to make sense of them.
Aubrey organizes an attack on La Réunion with help from the active and decisive Lieutenant Colonel Harry Keating and his army regulars stationed on Rodrigues. La Réunion capitulates almost without loss after simultaneous landings by army troops and sepoys from the British East India Company on both sides of the island. The occupation is made easier by Stephen's propaganda and political meetings, which help to convince many of the disaffected locals to accept British rule and Farquhar as interim governor.
Mauritius proves more challenging. Stephen is seriously injured in an accident boarding Néréide, now under Lord Clonfert, which is part of the force sent to capture the strategic Île de la Passe off the island's southeast coast. While recuperating, Stephen and the ship's doctor, McAdam, attempt to diagnose Clonfert, whose self-consciousness and perceived rivalry with Commodore Aubrey has greatly affected his behavior. The capture of the fortress on Île de la Passe is successful, and Stephen is put down on Mauritius to continue his work. A small group of transports under the command of Captain Pym puts soldiers on Mauritius to garrison the fortress. The French fleet then appears with three frigates, Bellone, Minerve, and Victor, and two captured Indiamen, Ceylon and Windham. They boldly attack the fort and then sail into the channel leading to Port Southeast; the British ships are caught unprepared but decide to attack. The battle rages for days with heavy casualties, and in the end two British ships, Sirius and Magicienne, run aground in the shallow channel and cannot be heaved off, so are burnt to prevent their capture; Iphigenia and the fort at Île de la Passe are abandoned to be retaken by the French. Néréide is also captured and Clonfert is gravely wounded in the neck and head by a splinter. A messenger vessel, with Maturin aboard, reaches La Réunion to inform Aubrey of the losses and the failed attack on Port Southeast.
Boadicea sails through the night to Île de la Passe only to find it under French control, then chases Manche and Vénus in a vain attempt to separate them. After contacting Tom Pullings, who has moved the guns of Windham aboard Emma, Jack believes his fortunes have changed. Captain Corbett re-joins at Saint Denis in command of HMS Africaine. Chasing the French during the night, Africaine clashes with the Astrée and the captured Iphigenia. The encounter goes badly, and Corbett is mortally wounded during the fight, possibly by his own oppressed men. The French capture the Africaine, but leave it dismasted when the Boadicea bears down on them; Astrée refuses an engagement. Joined by the Otter and Staunch, the flotilla returns to La Réunion where the Commodore hastens to refit Africaine.
Maturin and Bonden return from Mauritius with news that HMS Bombay is nearby, in a running fight with both the French Vénus and Victor. The Boadicea engages the French ships, with Jack making use of eager volunteers from the Africaine to board and capture Bombay and Vénus. During the encounter the French Commodore, Hamelin, is killed. While waiting for repairs, Aubrey and Keating devise a plan to finish the battle with the remaining French frigates. Suddenly the Emma signals the Boadicea that many other British sails are on the horizon, and Jack realizes Admiral Bertie has arrived to supersede his command. Tom Pullings comes aboard with a copy of the Naval Gazette announcing the birth of a son to Sophia; Jack is ecstatic at the news. He then opens Bertie's letter ordering him to join the fleet at Rodrigues, where he will command HMS Illustrious, and the Army led by General Abercrombie. Jack is disappointed that he will no longer have the honor of leading the fleet, but accepts the orders with magnanimity, to Bertie's surprise. The final invasion of Mauritius, based on Aubrey and Keating's original plan, is an overwhelming victory, and the French surrender after being given honourable terms.
Stephen learns from McAdam that Clonfert, at the military hospital in Port Louis, has committed suicide by removing his bandages, unable to face Jack Aubrey. Stephen asks McAdam's advice on how to overcome his own recent disaffection and apathy, and McAdam insists that only romantic relationships seem to consistently remedy such maladies. A ceremonial dinner is given at Government House on Mauritius. Stephen implies in conversation with Mr Peter that Jack's father, General Aubrey, is soon to have significant influence with the Admiralty in London, which rumours are believed by Bertie. The Admiral gives Jack the great honour of returning to England carrying the news of the British victory.
Characters
In England Jack Aubrey: Captain in the Royal Navy. Given command of HMS Boadicea, he is appointed commodore of a fleet intended to capture Mauritius and La Réunion during the story. Stephen Maturin: Ship's surgeon, natural philosopher, intelligence agent, and friend to Jack. Sophia Aubrey: Jack's wife, his true love, and the mother of his children. Charlotte and Fanny: Jack and Sophie's twin infant daughters, perhaps six months old at the beginning of the story. Baby boy Aubrey: Son born to Sophia while Jack is on assignment, news which is reported in the Naval Gazette. Cecelia: Young daughter of Mrs William's middle daughter, and niece of Sophie and Jack, living with them at Ashgrove Cottage. Mrs Williams: Jack Aubrey's mother-in-law, now bankrupt and living with her daughter at Ashgrove Cottage. Bessie: Cook at Ashgrove Cottage until Mrs Williams abruptly dismisses her without a good word, for touching the mushrooms carefully collected as a gift to the Aubreys by Maturin, a man unknown to her. Lady Clonfert: Wife of Captain Lord Clonfert, seeking passage to join him at the Cape.
At the Cape Robert Townsend Farquhar, Esquire: Temporary governor of La Réunion, trained in the law, skilled in politics, no ear for music, good chess player. He is R T Farquhar when picked up at Plymouth, but oddly William Farquhar, Governor-designate, in Admiral Bertie's orders to Aubrey. Mr Lemuel Akers: First lieutenant in HMS Boadicea, detached to sail HMS Hyaena to Gibraltar. Mr Seymour: Second lieutenant in HMS Boadicea, acting first lieutenant after Akers parts company. Mr Trollope: Third lieutenant in HMS Boadicea, acting second after Akers parts company. Mr Johnson: Master's mate in HMS Boadicea, acting lieutenant after Akers parts company, appointment confirmed at Cape Town. Mr Richardson: Midshipman in Boadicea, nicknamed Spotted Dick, skilled in mathematics, partner to Aubrey in navigation. Later he takes the aviso Pearl to Rodrigues island. Mr Buchan: Master in HMS Boadicea who is killed by cannon fire from the French ship Astrée. Mr John Fellowes: Bosun of the Boadicea. Admiral Bertie: Admiral in Simon's Town, the Cape Town station of the Royal Navy, with an eye to financial gain and baronetcy. Mr Peter: Secretary to Aubrey, from Simon's Town. He serves as Admiral Bertie's informant within the squadron, as Maturin quickly realizes. Maturin eventually uses this to his and Aubrey's advantage. William McAdam: Surgeon in HMS Néréide and a specialist in diseases of the mind, knows Clonfert and knew his father as well. Golovnin: Russian fleet lieutenant, captain of sloop Diana caught at Cape Town when Russia briefly allied with France (thus becoming an enemy to England), slipped away without harm. Barret Bonden: Jack Aubrey's coxswain, who joins him at Cape Town. Preserved Killick: Jack Aubrey's steward, who joins him at Cape Town.
At La Réunion and Mauritius Lieutenant Colonel Harry Keating: British army commander of the 56th Regiment of Foot, leader of all army and sepoy units. Colonel Fraser: British army officer leading a brigade in the attack on La Réunion, arrives on the Sirius. Colonel McLeod: British army officer leading a brigade in the attack on La Réunion, arrives on the Boadicea.