Poorest Creature: The Sailing Master Book Five, A Chronicle of the First Opium War

Sailing Master Owen Harriet is enmeshed in China's Opium Wars; the British plan began in 1820, when the East India Company began enlisting the merchant fleet to transport even more opium to China. The increase in trade buried the Chinese in addiction. Who would guess that a mere sailing master, a resolute chap, would be involved in what's to come?

A careful glance sidelong down the Eleanor's gun deck reveals four long guns have been removed. Two to port, two to starboard, all of them amidship. In their place is a great store of dry goods. Gunny sacks of dried peas and beans, bins of onions and potatoes. Cases of salt pork and bully beef. Cartons of sea biscuit stacked to the beams, and crates of dried apricots, raisons and pears. I've not seen a frigate's rations in such great quantity. Or as many rockets, along with tripods to launch them. Five full racks, with each rack stenciled in black.

After passing Land's End, Master Harriet's Eleanor begins to rise on the Atlantic swell. As eight bells of the forenoon watch ring out, I shoot the noon line and return to the chartroom, which also serves as my quarters. A cramped cabin. Its single lantern swings in a gimbal above the chart table, set atop a stack of drawers containing Eleanor's navigational maps

After crossing the Bay of Biscay, the Eleanor under full sail, will remain that way for several weeks, or at least until Harriet reaches the fortieth parallel and runs due east along the Roaring Forties. A course charted to remain out of sight of land, but not necessarily so with passing ships.