This is book 14 of the "Aubrey-Maturin" series.

This note contains spoilers for the book.

Into American editions now, nicer paper, not yellowed, sewn bindings. Still rough-trimmed, though, which is ugly and prone to damage.

Starts with their rescue from the island they were stranded on, and proceeds from there.

Specifically, to "New South Wales", where the squalor of the penal colony is illustrated, and the poverty of the land demonstrated. It does, however, give Maturin plenty to naturalize about. At the end, he's very happy indeed to finally see a platypus. Too bad nobody warned him about the poisonous spurs.