The Thirteen-Gun Salute

Captain Jack Aubrey sets sail for the South China Sea with a new lease on life, having earned reinstatement to the Royal Navy through his exploits as a privateer. Now he shepherds Stephen Maturin on a diplomatic mission to prevent links between Bonaparte and the Malay princes which could put English merchant shipping at risk.

Will Napoleon Bonaparte form an alliance with the Malay princes of the South China Sea? Not if Jack Aubrey can help it. Conveying a diplomatic mission to the Sultan's court, Aubrey and company must also contend with orangutans, typhoons, and a squadron of wily French envoys.