A View from the Quarterdeck

Note: An alternate version of this was submitted to the HH fanfic archive and should be available via google search. I am also working on turning this into a full book at some point. As of right now, three chapters exist but they like everything else I treasure is in storage up in Elmira.




In my many years of dedicated service to His Majesty’s Navy, I have come across various types of men. These men hail from mixture of backgrounds and differing levels of society. Some of these men were hardened criminals in search of a new life while others were the younger sons of nobleman trying to make their fortune. Both came to the sea to escape their lives on land in hopes of creating a new one. Throughout my service, I have seen extremes; men who have died too young to accomplish their dreams while others have lived long lives and accomplishing great things. Below are my thoughts on one of my officers who was able to succeed beyond anyone’s imagination, Horatio Hornblower.
When I first glanced at Mr. Hornblower his looks surprised me. The stories from his previous ship had made him out to be a fighter and dueler. Therefore I envisioned him as such, a brawny kid with the muscles of a prizefighter, strong and athletic. Instead what I saw from my quarterdeck was a child. He could not have been more than seventeen at the time. He was tall and lanky with a boney face surrounded by curls. As he passed me, the question ran through my mind, “how can this be the same Hornblower with various notations of discipline on his record?” But I was able to look beyond the problems and I could see what was inside the boy. In his deep brown eyes, I could see me as a young man; he was brash, quick witted and desisive. Like me however, he would have to learn discipline and use the vast knowledge he possessed in a more fruitful manner. I set out to do this for him. He had strict boundaries and I kept him under close watch. I forced him to prove to me what I knew he had inside.
What I remember most of Mr. Hornblower were his eyes. Even now as I look back, I cannot fully explain the wonders the boy could accomplish with just a look. They possessed a certain magic from which orders were given and his men were comforted. The men trusted in them so completely that with a glance I am sure they would have gone through hell, should he have asked it of them.
In Hornblower’s years in my service, I have enjoyed watching his development. The boy whom I once eyed closely upon his arrival maintained many of the features he had when he left. He was still tall, lanky with curly hair. However, I could no longer call him a “boy” when he left. He came aboard my ship as a green midshipman and he left a commissioned Lieutenant. But he also left as a man.