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Thank you all for your learned comments on Master and Commander in response
to my original post. However I  should clear up some points.

1) In neither the book nor the film was it suggested that the noon sight was
used for an accurate fix of time or of longitude. It seemed to be a ritual
whereby:

> The ships bell was rung signifying noon had occurred and the new day begun

> The fore-watch ended and the men were piped to the midday meal

> The glass was turned providing a rough measure of time - local ship's
time.

> The captain said "Make it So" and sun altitudes were read for latitude.

It appeared to me to be more about ritual and going to lunch than it was
about accurate time and longitude.

However one point is worth noting. Many sextants I have seen from the 19th
century had a small block on the arc which preceded the arm as it was wound
out. As the sun began to sink the block stayed on the arc indicating maximum
travel of the arm. The block was then screwed tight and the arm moved back
to this position and the elevation  read. Maybe this is why they continued
reading until the sun had dipped below the horizon - then there was no doubt
that maximum elevation  was reached.

I didn't include in my initial post all the inaccuracies I saw only the
major ones. If anyone is interested some others are:
> When a Napoleonic era warship "beat to quarters" a liberal covering of
sand was spread on the decks to soak up blood and viscera.

> Also covers called "fearnought screens" were placed over the hatches to
prevent sparks falling into the magazines

> A netting was rigged amidships above the main-deck gunners to prevent them
being brained by falling blocks and spars

>When a man was killed during action he was immediately heaved overboard.
This was to prevent congestion on the fighting decks but also the problem
once more of a slippery deck caused by excess gore. The only ones sewn into
the canvas and ritually buried were those who died below in the surgery or
survived the action but died thereafter.

None of the above formalities were observed in the film.

Also close observation would show that the guns on Aubrey's "Surprise" in
the film were fired with flintlocks. I thought Napoleonic era cannon were
fired with a slow-match applied directly to the touch hole. Can anyone help
me here?

I would welcome any comments.

Kieran Kelly

6 David Place
Seaforth 2092
Sydney


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Kieran Kelly

   

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