I often say that, while engineering is my profession, history is my obsession.

My history interests range over a wide area, including the American Civil War, the American West, the Age of Sail, and the Titanic, to name a few topics of special study. But if you mention the Roman Empire, Ancient Egypt, the Trojan War, Arthurian Fact and Legend, and quite a few other subjects, you'll get my attention.

The Little Big Horn and ... Sherlock Holmes The Detective in Montana Barque Joseph Conrad at Mystic Seaport Patrick O'Brian The nautical novels of Patrick O'Brian, most of them dealing with the adventures of Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and his friend, naval surgeon and intelligence operative Stephen Maturin, during the Napoleonic Wars are one of the joys of Twentieth Century literature -- filled with beautiful writing, humor, wonderfully drawn characters, and rich nuggets about history, music, food, the natural world, and nearly anything else under the sun. Like many other fans of the O'Brian novels, I have undertaken my own research into some of the more obscure corners of the "Canon" (as the books are sometimes collectively designated). One incident particularly drawing my interest was the exciting (and hilarious) escape of Jack Aubrey, disguised in a bearskin, from French authorities across the Pyrennee Mountains into Spain. Following the clues in "Post Captain" I was able to trace the route of Aubrey and Maturin to the Spanish frontier. Aubrey's Crossing Point The red "X" near the center of the map shows the location on the French-Spanish border where Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin crossed. As Stephen Maturin would quickly remind us, however, the countryside both north and south of this "border" is in fact all part of the nation of Catalonia, divided by history, but united by the vibrant Catalan culture. Route Across the Frontier The actual route followed by Aubrey and Maturin is indicated by the chain of blue dots. The location of Stephen Maturin's castle (yes, he actually owns a castle in Spain) is probably at the town of Requesens, to the southeast of the end of the route. The Mauritius Campaign The historical background of Patrick O'Brian's "The Mauritius Campaign" is the historical effort of the Royal Navy to capture the islands of Reunion and Mauritius in 1809-1810. O'Brian followed the course of the real events very closely in his novel. With one exception, he kept the historical names of the ships involved (HMS "Bombay" in the novel was actually HMS Ceylon; the name was changed to avoid confusion with an Indiaman also named Ceylon). And in most cases he used the names of the actual participants in the campaign, two exceptions being Jack Aubrey (who fills the historical role of Josias Rowley) and Lord Clonfert (who commands the same ships as the genuine Nesbit Willoughby). I have written an article about the actual campaign which may be accessed below. The Mauritius Campaign -- On-Line The Mauritius Campaign Mowett's Greatest Epic? The following poem is reputed to have been found among the papers of James Mowett, RN: "Stephen on the Pitch" The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Leopard eleven that day; The score stood forty-six with a single out to play. And then when Byron got a duck, and Holles came up scratch, A sickly quiet fell upon the watchers of the match. A sober few got up to leave in deep despair. The rest Had lost the hope which dwells within the Malay maiden's breast, And thought that only Aubrey could win their hearts' release - We'd put up even money with our Captain at the crease. But Doudle came 'fore Aubrey, as did Doctor Maturin, And the former was a cipher and the latter was akin; So on that stricken multitude the death-like silence sat, For there seemed but little chance of Aubrey's getting to the bat. Now Doudle stepped upon the pitch, a tremor in every limb, The Cumberlands all certain they would make quick work of him. Their Admiral bowled a wicked lob which took a devilish twist; That awkward lubber Doudle hit it, straight to the Admiral's fist. Then from a hundred throats or so there rose a doubtful roar; It rumbled through the ulas trees and across the sandy shore. Where is the barky's surgeon, does not anybody know? Where oh where, they ask distraught, did this 'not quite' fellow go? Young Forshaw raced to search the town - hospital, brothel and ditch - To summon, to beg, to drag the errant doctor to the pitch. He found his man all cool as ice, his manner still unrattled. So Stephen strode out from the jungle to where his team now battled. Hold up your end, they bade, as bat in hand the doctor took his place; Defiance gleamed in Maturin's eye, a reptilian glare upon his face. The Admiral held the ball to nose, his Cumberlands on alert; And he bowled the sphere, a humming orb, to graze across the dirt. The Leopards watched, all mute with awe, as Stephen danced ahead. He checked the ball and dribbled it back - in the quiet they heard his tread. The surgeon scooped it up and hurled the globe with a terrible Irish screech; He shattered the stump and scattered the bits full halfway to the beach! Oh, somewhere o'er those sunlit seas the cheerful mermaids swim; The sloths are dozing somewhere, and wombats eat gold trim; And somewhere squeakers skylark, and bosuns grin, no doubt; But there is no joy in Pulo Batang - Stephen was called out. Some Favorite Links Little Bighorn Battlefield NM Homepage Little Big Horn Associates Home Page Custer Battlefield Historical Museum Associ... Gettysburg Discussion Group RMS Titanic: Her Passengers and Crew Titanic and the Mystery Ship George Behe's Titanic Site Titanic Historical Society The Patrick O'Brian Page Chronology of the Age of Fighting Sail Patrick O'Brian Links Patrick O'Brian Character Index The Aubrey-Maturin Repertoire Flashman Society of the United Kingdom Send me an email.

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