I'm Sailing Right Behind Trivia Quiz

After seven months' sailing the Lydia makes landfall in the Gulf of Fonseca, on the Pacific coast of Central America. This is a feat of which Hornblower should have been proud - as a result of his orders he has not been allowed to sight land for the last eleven weeks, so that no one is aware of his presence in the Pacific, and he therefore had to navigate there by dead reckoning. Now his secret mission can begin.

Don Julian, a local landowner who is also known as El Supremo, is intending to lead a rebellion against the Spanish monarchy. As Britain is currently at war with Spain, Hornblower has been ordered to help him with this goal by giving him muskets, bayonets and ammunition, and any other help necessary. Don Julian proves to be an autocratic man who enjoys torturing his inferiors, and Hornblower soon goes on to regret their association, but he needs to remain in the Gulf until their transactions have been completed.

Hornblower has been informed that a Spanish ship, the Natividad, has been roaming the local area, and he sets a plan to capture her. After he learns that she is on her way back to the bay, he hides the Lydia behind an island, and everyone waits until the Natividad's appearance. During this time, Hornblower engages in a game of whist with three of his junior officers, thus reinforcing his reputation for imperturbability. Once the Natividad reaches the Lydia's hiding place, the Lydia opens fire, and the Natividad surrenders after only a few shots.

Hornblower informs Don Julian of the Natividad's capture, and the latter immediately declares his intention to take over the ship for his own purposes. Hornblower has no choice but to agree. Don Julian intends to kill all of the Natividad's surviving officers, but Hornblower manages to keep them alive by hiding them on the Lydia and pretending that he has already killed them.

Shortly after the Natividad's capture, a Spanish ship, carrying a flag of truce, intercepts the Lydia. The Spanish officer informs Hornblower that he has recently had news that Napoleon has installed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne, and that the Spanish government has therefore signed a peace treaty with Britain. He also carries letters to this effect.

This comes as a shock to Hornblower and his crew, as they captured the Natividad after the treaty was signed, and they have handed the ship over to one of Spain's enemies. Hornblower at once decides to find the Natividad again and re-capture her.

The Spanish officer who brings news of the peace treaty also carries a letter from Lady Barbara Wellesley, the fictional sister of the future Duke of Wellington. She is trying to travel from Panama to England, and as there is an outbreak of yellow fever in the West Indies she asks if Hornblower, as the captain of the only British ship in the area, would take her and her maid home.

Hornblower is not at all pleased at the prospect of having a woman aboard, particularly as he intends to fight a major battle as soon as he has found the Natividad, but he knows that he cannot afford to refuse the request of a Wellesley, so he reluctantly agrees to her request.

Shortly after Lady Barbara has come aboard, and Hornblower has had a duty meeting with the local Viceroy, he sets sail again, on the hunt for the Spanish ship. She is nowhere to be seen throughout the Nicaraguan coast, or in any of the bays further north.

The Lydia hits a storm when they arrive in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico, which is where a lookout spots a ship which resembles the Natividad. As soon as the ship's identity is ascertained, the ship beats to quarters, and the sailors prepare to open fire.

Both ships start to fire at each other, with the Lydia proving to be faster and more efficient, although the Natividad also causes a deal of damage, After two of the Lydia's masts are shot down her crew has to work hard to put them right again. However, the British ship is soon able to fire again, and the Natividad sails away out of reach, giving the Lydia time to effect some more repairs.

At this point both ships are struggling in another gale, so Hornblower decides to remain where they are. The next morning, with the gale having lessened, he calculates where he thinks that the Natividad will have got to, and orders a new course. Of course, his calculation is correct, and the Lydia comes across the disabled ship. They manage to catch them several hours later, and fire at the Spanish ship, destroying it. The other captain refuses to surrender, and the Natividad is eventually sunk.

Shortly after the battle, Hornblower is looking for a place to land so that he can carry out thorough repairs on his ship. They are heading towards Panama when they are stopped by a member of the coast guard, who hands Hornblower a letter from the Viceroy, forbidding them from entering into, or anchoring in, any port of Spanish America. This is mainly because the Spanish King is frightened that the presence of a British ship could mean that Britain has designs on Spain's colonies, and the King wants the Lydia to go back home.

Although the Lydia has enough food and water to take them back home, as so many men died in the recent engagement, the ship still needs to be repaired, so Hornblower takes her to a secluded cove on the island of Coiba, and after a few weeks the Lydia is as good as new.

Once the Lydia has been repaired its crew set off homewards. However, before they get very far they are intercepted by the same Spanish coast guard officer as before. He invites Hornblower to his ship, where he finds Don Julian in chains. The dictator is clearly mad, and he has been captured for his part in the rebellion.

Despite acknowledging to himself that Don Julian is getting his just deserts, as he himself put many people to death, the sight of him insane and heading off to his execution sends Hornblower to tears.

Hornblower has been growing closer to Lady Barbara since she first came abroad, although his natural reticence plus the fact that she is of a much higher social class means that he does not do anything about it. He has also been far too busy with the Natividad. However, now that events are much more peaceful they are able to spend more time together, and Hornblower realises that he loves her. Once the ship has rounded Cape Horn and they are on the homeward stretch they kiss in the main cabin.

However, he soon backs off, frightened of what his men would think, and the pair part in anger. Lady Barbara leaves the Lydia in St Helena, and Hornblower returns to his wife.