''Mr. Midshipman Hornblower'' is a 1950
Horatio Hornblower novel written by
C. S. Forester. Although it may be considered as the first episode in the Hornblower saga, it was written as a
prequel; the first Hornblower novel, ''
The Happy Return
''The Happy Return'' (''Beat to Quarters'' in the US) is the first of the Horatio Hornblower novels by C. S. Forester. It was published in 1937. The American title is derived from the expression " beat to quarters", which was the signal to p ...
'' ("Beat to Quarters" in the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
), was published in 1937.
Plot introduction
Horatio Hornblower commences his career in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
as an inexperienced
midshipman in January 1794. Through a series of challenges and adventures both in and out of combat, Hornblower discovers he is actually talented in both seamanship and leadership.
People initially thought Hornblower a dullard but later grew to respect him.
Plot summary
This novel is episodic, with named chapters (US editions begin each chapter title with "Hornblower") that often focus on a self-contained incident.
Hornblower and the Even Chance
A gawky and seasick Hornblower comes aboard his first ship. He immediately earns the contempt of the other midshipmen. The young Hornblower is particularly despised by a midshipman named Simpson. Simpson, at age thirty-three, had failed his examination for lieutenant too many times to ever expect promotion. He takes out his bitterness and disappointment on his juniors. Hornblower is extremely unhappy. He takes the first opportunity for a way out, one way or another, by challenging Simpson to a duel. Hornblower insists on having one of the two pistols loaded and the other not, and to exchange shots at point-blank range, with neither Hornblower nor Simpson knowing which is which. The captain secretly frustrates this by having the officers of the duel load neither weapon and claiming a misfire when neither discharges. The captain later has him transferred to the frigate HMS ''Indefatigable''.
Hornblower and the Cargo of Rice
Transferred aboard ''
Indefatigable'', Midshipman Hornblower is put in command of the French ship ''Marie Galante'', carrying a cargo of rice from New Orleans, by order of Captain Pellew after it is taken as a prize. It is Hornblower's first time in command of a ship since joining the Royal Navy. He is instructed to take the captured French ship and her crew to a British port where he is to report for his next orders. Sailing is relatively smooth for Hornblower and his four seamen, until one of the crew (Matthews) informs him that the ship is taking on water from somewhere. Hornblower recalls that ''Marie Galante'' was struck below the hull's waterline by a cannonball from ''Indefatigable'' before her capture. They check for moisture but find none until it is pointed out that the dried rice will absorb all of it. They hastily attempt to patch the hole with a sail, but by then the rice has expanded so much that the ship is breaking apart. A massive attempt to jettison the rice comes too late and Hornblower commands all hands to abandon ship. Hornblower's crew and the French prisoners are left at sea in an open boat.
Hornblower and the Penalty of Failure
In ''The Penalty of Failure'', Hornblower and his crew are still out at sea, between British and French ports. The captain of the recently sunk ''Marie Galante'' pleads with Hornblower to navigate to France and release him and his men, and promises safe passage for Hornblower and his crew. Hornblower promptly rejects the Captain's pleading in spite of their bleak situation and uses his pistols to prevent a mutiny. Not long afterward, Hornblower and his crew are caught by a
privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
named ''Pique'' which was converted from a slave ship. This ship is commanded by Captain Neuville. Hornblower is now a prisoner of war, but ''Indefatigable'' falls in with them and makes chase. As ''Pique'' is the faster sailer, Hornblower devises a plan to slow her down: he sets a fire, which soon spreads to the very flammable paint locker. All hands are diverted to fighting the fire, which soon breaks out on the deck and spreads to the rigging, immediately slowing the vessel. The British ship ultimately overpowers ''Pique'', extinguishes the fire, and Captain Neuville and his crew surrender. Hornblower's fears of reprimand for losing ''Marie Galante'' are quickly extinguished by the offhanded dismissal of the incident by Captain Pellew. However, instead of taking credit for the fire, Hornblower suggests that there may have been spontaneous combustion in the paint locker, as a way of punishing himself for losing ''Marie Galante'' in the first place.
Hornblower and the Man Who Felt Queer
Upon returning to ''Indefatigable'', Hornblower is assigned a role of loosening the sail by Captain Pellew in his plan to take the French
corvette ''Papillon''. Hornblower is set to command ''Indefatigables
jolly boat
The jolly boat was a type of ship's boat in use during the 18th and 19th centuries. Used mainly to ferry personnel to and from the ship, or for other small-scale activities, it was, by the 18th century, one of several types of ship's boat. The de ...
. Before setting out, Hornblower practises his task on ''Indefatigable'' to try and calm his nerves. While reviewing his men prior to shoving off, a man named Hales says to Hornblower that he feels queer. After the boat crews depart, Hales begins having a seizure. Because silence was essential and was the only thing keeping the men alive, Hornblower strikes Hales and inevitably kills him. On boarding the ship Hornblower and his men are frustrated by the absence of a footrope along the yardarm. Hornblower's fear of heights terrifies him, but tries to assure himself that he was courageous in his situation with Hales. Motivated by this act of emotional self-flagellation Hornblower runs unaided along the yardarm and looses the topsail. During the fighting the jolly boat is lost, with Hales still aboard, but ''Papillon'' is taken as a prize of ''Indefatigable''. Hornblower feels bad about the loss of Hales, without whom Hornblower believes he would never have found the courage to complete his task. Jackson claims that Hales would have never made a decent seaman anyway. Given the success of their mission Hornblower realises the loss of the jolly boat will not be held against him, but still regrets the inevitable death of Hales.
Hornblower and the Man Who Saw God
When Styles, a man in Hornblower's division, appears strangely marked with "boils" all over his face, Hornblower is suspicious. He gains a clue from Finch, another of his men, who suffers from delusions and claims that "God's in the maintop, but the Devil's in the cable tier, but only in the
dog watch
A dog watch is a work shift, also known as a "watch", in a maritime watch system that is half the length of a standard watch period. This is typically formed by splitting a single four-hour watch period between 16:00 and 20:00 (4 pm and 8 pm) to fo ...
es". After thinking about what this means, Hornblower investigates the cable-tier in the dog-watch and discovers a group of men "
rat fighting". Styles without use of his hands has to kill rats with his teeth, while the others bet. A horrified Hornblower, having gathered up his courage, orders them up on deck and threatens to report them. Later, in action against a French ship, Hornblower and Finch are firing a
swivel gun from the mizzen-top when the mast is hit and begins to fall. Hornblower persuades Finch to jump to safety by telling him to "get to God". The two men make a desperate jump to safety.
Hornblower the Frogs, and the Lobsters
Hornblower takes part in the attempted
invasion of France
France has been invaded on numerous occasions, by foreign powers or rival French governments; there have also been unimplemented invasion plans.
* the 1746 War of the Austrian Succession, Austria-Italian forces supported by the British navy attemp ...
by British and French Royalist forces at
Quiberon in order to support the failed
Revolt in the Vendée
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
. Hornblower is ordered ashore with his seamen acting as gunners, and gains his first experience of land warfare and the horrors of the Revolution, including the guillotine. The expedition ends in failure and Hornblower escapes back to his ship, saddened, but philosophical. The Frogs are the French and the Lobsters are the (red-coated) British regiment landed to support them.
Hornblower and the Spanish Galleys
Hornblower's ship, ''Indefatigable'', is in
Cádiz
Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
when Spain makes peace with France. Since Spain becomes officially neutral, the British ship of war is forced to leave, passing prisoner-rowed
galleys
A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be use ...
still maintained by the conservative Spanish navy. Spain has completed its political turnaround and
joined France in an alliance by the time ''Indefatigable'' is escorting another ship through the
Straits of Gibraltar. When there is a lack of wind and the ships are becalmed, two Spanish galleys ambush them. The galleys are fought off and Hornblower, in command of the jolly boat, helps capture one of them, which gains him promotion to
Acting-Lieutenant. Hornblower subsequently attributes the "fighting madness" with which he and his sailors attack the Spanish to an irrational hatred of the galleys.
Hornblower and the Examination for Lieutenant
After ''Indefatigable'' comes into port at Gibraltar, Acting-Lieutenant Hornblower reports to ''Santa Barbara'' where he and others are to take their examination for lieutenant. When asked a question by one of the captains conducting the examination, Hornblower freezes up and is about to fail the exam when an alarm of cannon fire interrupts the examination;
fire ships
A fire ship or fireship, used in the days of wooden rowed or sailing ships, was a ship filled with combustibles, or gunpowder deliberately set on fire and steered (or, when possible, allowed to drift) into an enemy fleet, in order to destroy sh ...
have been sent by the enemy in an attempt to destroy the British ships at Gibraltar. Hornblower and Captain Foster, one of the examining captains, take heroic action and prevent a disaster for the British, and jump in the water. They are rescued by the crew of one of the fire ships, themselves escaping in a small boat, but then a British guard boat captures them in return. Since the Spanish crew saved his and Hornblower's life, Foster orders that they be released. The examining board does not reassemble since Foster falls out with another examining captain, who had been standing by with a boat but failed to reach them before the Spanish crew. Hornblower will need to wait for a later examining board. The chapter ends with Foster, impressed by Hornblower's actions, telling Hornblower that, since the attack prevented him from failing the examination, he should "Be thankful for small mercies. And even more thankful for big ones."
Hornblower and Noah's Ark
Acting-Lieutenant Hornblower accompanies the diplomat Mr. Tapling to buy cattle and grain from the
Bey
Bey ( ota, بك, beğ, script=Arab, tr, bey, az, bəy, tk, beg, uz, бек, kz, би/бек, tt-Cyrl, бәк, translit=bäk, cjs, пий/пек, sq, beu/bej, sh, beg, fa, بیگ, beyg/, tg, бек, ar, بك, bak, gr, μπέης) is ...
of
Oran to resupply the fleet. However, an outbreak of the
bubonic plague in the city forces Hornblower, Tapling and his boat-crew to take refuge aboard the transport ship ''Caroline'' and remain in quarantine for three weeks until they are clear of infection. Hornblower struggles with a tiny crew aboard a worn-out ship, but still manages to take a prize in the shape of an unsuspecting
privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
lugger
A lugger is a sailing vessel defined by its rig, using the lug sail on all of its one or several masts. They were widely used as working craft, particularly off the coasts of France, England, Ireland and Scotland. Luggers varied extensively ...
, and deliver the supply ship to the fleet's base at Gibraltar. There he is reprimanded by the Victualling Officer for having allowed his crew to feast on fresh beef over the last three weeks.
Hornblower the Duchess, and the Devil
Hornblower is given command of the French prize ''Le Reve'' and ordered to return to England with dispatches and, to his astonishment, a passenger – the Duchess of Wharfedale. In thick fog Hornblower sails his ship directly into the middle of a Spanish fleet off
Cape St. Vincent
Cape St. Vincent ( pt, Cabo de São Vicente, ) is a headland in the municipality of Vila do Bispo, in the Algarve, southern Portugal. It is the southwesternmost point of Portugal and of mainland Europe.
History
Cape St. Vincent was already sacr ...
. Anticipating capture Hornblower prepares to throw his dispatches overboard, but is persuaded by the Duchess, who also reveals her true identity as a popular actress, to allow her to conceal them under her clothes, as she is sure to be repatriated immediately. This he does. Much later, while in a Spanish prison at
Ferrol, he receives a letter from her detailing her successful return to England, and another from the Admiralty confirming his promotion to lieutenant. Later, while on parole Hornblower rescues some sailors from a Spanish ship wrecked on the cliffs below him. After the rescue, he and his assistants, some Spanish fishermen, are forced out to sea by bad weather and found by another British frigate. Despite the temptation to stay aboard, Hornblower reminds the captain that he has given his parole and is returned to Spain under a flag of truce. Several months later, in recognition of his bravery, the Spanish authorities release him.
Translations
''Mr. Midshipman Hornblower'' was translated into German by Hanns-Georg Sommerwerck as ''Fähnrich Hornblower'' in 1952, and into French by Maurice Beerblock as ''M. l'aspirant de marine Horatio Hornblower'' in 1953. The book was also translated into Norwegian by Odd Feydt ''Midshipman Hornblower'' and Polish by Henryka Stępień "Pan midszypmen Hornblower".
Adaptations
Four of the episodes form the basis for the first four instalments of the series of TV films ''
Hornblower'' which were released both in the US and the UK, sometimes with alternate titles. Starring
Ioan Gruffudd
Ioan Gruffudd (; (born 6 October 1973) is a Welsh actor. He first came to public attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in ''Titanic'' (1997), and then for his portrayal of Horatio Hornblower in the ''Hornblower (TV series), Hornblower'' seri ...
in the title role, they are :
* ''
The Even Chance
''The Even Chance'' is the first of eight Hornblower television adaptations relating the exploits of Horatio Hornblower, the protagonist in a series of novels and short stories by C.S. Forester. ''The Even Chance'' is the name given to this fi ...
'' (aka, ''The Duel'') (also includes material from "The Cargo of Rice", "The Man Who Felt Queer" and "The Man Who Saw God")
* ''
The Examination for Lieutenant
''The Examination for Lieutenant'' is an episode of the British television series '' Hornblower''. It is loosely based on part of the 1950 novel ''Mr. Midshipman Hornblower'' by C. S. Forester. It was released on DVD in the United States under ...
'' (aka, ''The Fire Ships'') (also includes material from "Noah's Ark")
* ''
The Duchess and the Devil
''The Duchess and the Devil'' is the third episode of the British television series '' Hornblower''. The episode first aired on 24 February 1999 on ITV. The television story is loosely based on C. S. Forester's 1950 novel ''Mr. Midshipman Horn ...
''
* ''
The Frogs and the Lobsters'' (aka, ''The Wrong War'')
Sources
* Forester, C.S, ''Mr. Midshipman Hornblower'', Michael Joseph, London (1st ed. 1 June 1950)
External links
*
{{C. S. Forester
Prequel novels
Hornblower books
1950 British novels
Novels set during the French Revolutionary War
British novels adapted into television shows
British novels adapted into films
Michael Joseph books