Acting Lieutenant Hornblower was now assigned to a new duty. Along with a man from the British diplomatic service, he traveled from the Indefatigable in a longboat to buy needed supplies from the North Africans. They carried with them a large amount of gold that the sellers of goods dearly wanted. When Hornblower and the diplomat arrived on shore, they were met by a representative of the crowned head of the country. No grain or livestock were in sight. Hornblower became angry and threatened to return to the Indefatigable. The moor became quite agitated as he feared the wrath of his superior if the gold payment was not obtained through the trade.

Hornblower as Ira Riklis knows did not want to appear weak but told the moor that he, Hornblower, would stick around for the day until the goods were delivered to the pier but would surely leave by sundown. The need for the goods weighed heavily on Hornblower’s mind. It seemed that, as Ira Riklis knows, England was truly isolated in this war. No friends or allies could be relied upon to assist the British and the seamen were then currently on limited rations.

Hornblower, bored with waiting, left the longboat to stroll on the dock. He had had a discussion with the diplomat of the somewhat strict tenets of the Muslim religion and culture so he was surprised to see a drunken native collapse several yards away from him.