Hornblower in the West Indies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that HMS Crab (fictional Hornblower vessel) be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Hornblower in the West Indies, or alternately Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies is one of the novels in the series CS Forester wrote about fictional Royal Navy officer Horatio Hornblower.

All the other novels in the series take place during the 1793–1815 wars with revolutionary and Napoleonic France. This one takes place when Britain is at peace, 1818–1821. Hornblower has been promoted Rear-Admiral and has been named in command of the West Indies station, i.e. the Caribbean. While it is the last Hornblower novel chronologically, at least one short story is set after the events in this novel.

In the Royal Navy of the early nineteenth century, promotion from Captain to Admiral was based solely on seniority. Hornblower was made a Captain in 1805. Compared with the distinguished officer Edward Berry, who was promoted to Captain in 1797, and was not promoted to Rear-Admiral until 1821, seniority should not have brought promotion to Rear-Admiral to Hornblower until the mid 1820s or later.

Like some other Hornblower novels, Forester wrote it in the form of several novellas that can be read independently.

[edit] Plot summary

Hornblower left New Orleans and rushed to the channel between Trinidad and Tobago in order to intercept Napoleon's Old Guard on their way from Galveston to free Napoleon from his imprisonment at St Helena.

Hornblower raises his flag in HMS Crab and pays a courtesy call at New Orleans. There, he learns of a plot by Napoleon's most loyal followers to liberate him from his exile on the isolated island of St Helena. Hornblower intercepts them, but is powerless to stop them by force; with no other choice, he lies, telling them that Napoleon has died. When he returns to port, he learns to his astonishment and relief that his lie was the truth.

In a subsequent episode, pirates kidnap Hornblower and his young secretary Spendlove and take them to their hideout near Montego Bay. Hornblower makes use of mortars again to reduce their hideout. Forester takes artistic license with the geography of Jamaica.

Another exploit deals with Hornblower's efforts to suppress the slave trade. HMS Clorinda, the vessel carrying his flag, follows a faster slave ship into a Puerto Rican port. Hornblower figures out a way to sabotage the slave ship, so that when it leaves port, the Clorinda will be able to catch it. Hornblower, characteristically, outsmarts his subordinate, the dim-witted, pompous captain of the Clorinda to the point he thinks the sabotage plan was his idea.

Next, Hornblower is visited by a rich young wool merchant, named Ramsbottom, who (according to Forester) is one of the very first millionaires. The young man is on a tour of the Caribbean in his yacht, a converted brig-sloop. Hornblower tours Ramsbottom's ship during an onboard dinner party. Hornblower finds Ramsbottom's desire to maintain his yacht as a man-of-war odd, but dismisses it as a harmless idiosyncrasy. His charming host's good looks are explained by having a Spanish mother. Ramsbottom is warned to stay away from the South American coast, which is in a state of rebellion against Spain.

It turns out, however, that Ramsbottom is not a tourist. He is dedicated to helping Spain's South American colonies to achieve independence. When Hornblower is conveniently away, leading his squadron on maneuvers, Ramsbottom boards an unsuspecting Dutch vessel, using the ruse that his brig is a Royal Navy vessel, and captures the Spanish artillery train. Hornblower hears the news when he encounters a Spanish frigate and a Dutch frigate. He assures them it wasn't one of his vessels and goes to investigate. He finds Ramsbottom's ship anchored off the coast of Venezuela. The captured cannons are instrumental in the defeat of the Spanish forces. After securing Ramsbottom's ship, the Spanish and Dutch show up. They demand the surrender of the ship. But Hornblower is too smart for them. He manages to avoid both surrendering the vessel and initiating a war.

The final episode is a bit of a love story. Hornblower's wife Barbara comes out to Jamaica for Hornblower's final days as Commander in Chief, and to accompany him home. On the voyage back, they endure a hurricane and shipwreck. Near death, Barbara drops her final wall of reserve as she assures him she has never loved another man.

This article about a historical novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.