While she is doing gunnery practice with gunpowder bought from a fireworks firm, "Worcester" encounters the French ship "Jemmapes". Worcester engages immediately, not having changed to ordinary gunpowder. "Jemmapes" sees the bright colors as the sign of some new weapon, and sails away. Maturin is injured and returns to taking laudanum for the pain. Some of the crew practice an oratorio while the midshipmen practice "Hamlet". Passengers are dropped off at Gibraltar and Port Mahon (Graham, professor of moral philosophy), though the parson Nathaniel Martin is aboard long enough for Maturin to discover their shared interest in birds, before Martin joins HMS "Berwick". "Worcester" joins the squadron off Toulon. Babbington, master and commander, joins the squadron in the Mediterranean as captain of the "Dryad". Babbington has fallen in love with Admiral Harte’s daughter Fanny, but her father wants her to marry the wealthy Andrew Wray. Babbington figures that Wray and Harte combined got him assigned to blockade duty. Before "Dryad", the Worcesters see HMS "Surprise" arrive with mail for this fleet, joining it.