For Ramage there were five things that he would always remember about the West Indies - the Tropics, in fact - even if he never visited them again: tropic birds, flying fish, blue sea, pelicans and palm trees. This tropic bird, the first of the voyage, had come up from the east, alone, passed high over the ship with a casual elegance, and flown on to the west - where the nearest land was nearly three thousand miles away. It was not a big bird but a striking one - all white with a very long forked tail. In fact the tail was three or four times longer than the bird - V-shaped like a swallow's, and very thin, as though each part comprised a single feather.
But there was no mention of whales, shark, dolphins or tropic bird in any of the journals. They were accepted like sunshine and squalls as part of a daily routine. How did one make people aware of their surroundings?
Ramage was just closing the last journal when the sentry at the door called: 'Mr Southwick, sir.'
The master came in, a cheerful grin on his sunburned face, his white hair now greasy because of the water shortage, and put a slip of paper on Ramage's desk. Usually he brought down the slate on which he had written the noon position, and the use of a piece of paper made Ramage look carefully at the figure.
The longitude was of course west of Greenwich and in the thirties, but the latitude stood out as though Southwick had written it in large figures: 9° 58' 12". The Calypso was now south of ten degrees North!
Ramage looked up at the old master and smiled. 'So we've crossed our own personal Equator! Pass the word for Mr Aitken while I find my keys. Time to break the seals!'
By the time the first lieutenant arrived in the cabin, Ramage had unlocked the drawer and taken out the packet with its four seals, each bearing the three anchors symbol of the Admiralty. It was addressed to him and bore the instructions: 'Not to be opened until south of the 10th parallel of latitude.'
It was far more exciting for Aitken and Southwick because Lord St Vincent had already told Ramage the Calypso's final destination although he had been unable to mention it to anyone else.
Ramage slid a paperknife under the seals, levered them up and opened the letter, which comprised two sheets of paper folded into three, the two ends then being folded inwards and a seal applied to each corner of the flaps. In the top right-hand corner was the usual 'By the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty . . .' Then the elegant copperplate opened in the time-honoured way: 'I am directed by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you . . .' He continued reading to himself.
'Having resumed command of the Calypso frigate after her refit, and received on board the extra provisions, stores and equipment listed in the margin of the second page, and having received on board the supernumeraries also listed on the second page and'... Ramage stopped: the habit of making a letter one long sentence, a series of statements linked by 'and' and 'whereas' was both confusing and tiring to read. Very well, now the Calypso is south of ten degrees North and the orders are opened.
You will make the best of your way to the Ilha da Trinidade situate to the best of our knowledge in 20° 29' South latitude and 29° 20' West longitude, or thereabouts, and upon arriving there you will take possession of the island in the King's name and erect plaques permanently recording the fact and recording your name and that of the ship and the date.
You will then cause the island to be surveyed and mapped, with particular concern for the watering places, and any sheltered bays suitable for use as anchorages should be sounded and proper charts drawn.
If wells are necessary they should be bored and lined with brick by the masons you carry; the botanist should choose and mark suitable land for the planting of maize. Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes. This land should be cleared, dug. prepared and sown under his instructions.
The surveyors, with the Marine officer, should pay particular attention to siting batteries to cover the main anchorages and the watering places, and these batteries should be built as expeditiously as possible. Appropriate magazines and kitchens should also be built.
He glanced up at Aitken and Southwick, both of whom were controlling their impatience. He resumed reading to himself.
If the island proves suitable, a signal station should be established which will also serve as a lookout tower, permitting an all-round view.
Having surveyed the island and its anchorages, provided it with batteries and a signal station, ensured a ready supply of water and planted the crops you are carrying, and having taken possession of the island in the King's name and leaving a Union flag flying at the signal station or lookout tower, you will return with your ship to the United Kingdom and report to their Lordships in detail and without delay upon your proceedings.
No surprises then, simply more details. Ramage turned to Southwick and, with a straight face said: 'Well, you take us to twenty degrees, twenty-nine minutes South, and twenty-nine degrees, twenty minutes West, and anchor as convenient.'
'Do I, by Jove,' Southwick said, his brow wrinkled as he worked out the position. 'Fernando de Noronha? No, too far south. It's about a thousand miles east of Rio de Janeiro, isn't it, sir? It'll be rather deep for anchoring...'
Aitken's eyes were shut as he searched his memory and looked at an imaginary chart. St Paul Rocks.. .no, they were north of Fernando de Noronha. Twenty south - that must be about the same as Rio de Janeiro - ah!' Abrolhos Rocks!' he said triumphantly; they were a hundred miles or so off the Brazilian coast.
Ramage shook his head.
'Martin Vaz island!' Southwick exclaimed. 'Although how we'll find it I don't know; enough people have looked.'
Again Ramage shook his head and told a crestfallen Southwick: 'You are close. Ilha da Trinidade, which is nearby.'
Southwick sniffed and Ramage recognized the sound as expressing the master's contempt. 'How big is it?'
Ramage shrugged his shoulders. 'Big enough to show on a chart; small enough, I suspect, to miss on a hazy day. I trust our chronometer is behaving itself.'
'It didn't like those couple of months in England any more than I did,' Southwick grumbled. 'My rheumatism was playing up, and so was the chronometer.'
'Might one ask why we . . .?' Aitken ventured, tactfully tapering off the sentence.
'No one can leave the ship before we arrive, so there's no reason why the pair of you don't read my orders,' Ramage said, sliding them across the desk to the first lieutenant.
Aitken was halfway down the first page when he said: 'We claim it? Who owns it now?'
'Let Southwick read it, then we can go over the questions together.'
Aitken finished the first page and then ticked off the items listed on the second page. He knew all about them, and his curiosity why one of the King's ships should be carrying bricks, plasterers' tools, spades, rakes and hoes, sacks of seed potatoes and grain as well as surveying equipment was now satisfied.
Southwick read, folded the orders and gave them back to Ramage. 'Whatever it is,' he said slowly, 'don't let's forget that the Ilha da Trinidade lies beyond the Doldrums ... At this time of the year we could take weeks to cross them.'
'The Spanish aren't very original about names, are they?' Aitken complained. 'There's the big island of Trinidad at the entrance to the Caribbean, a city in Cuba and I seem to remember seeing a reference to another island with that name off Bahia Blanca, three hundred miles or so south of Buenos Aires."