Matthew Jennings wrote: >"what idiot in the Admiralty would ever think that you could get much >use out of a spy in such a position" > >This is interesting too, because although there are large periods where >Maturin is 'at-sea', he also finds himself in enough places/times >to 'thwart the enemy' that it is worth gaps. > > Except that Britain didn't use agents in this manner at this time--this is a 20th century device. The Admiralty gathered intelligence, all right, but that's what it was: intelligence. Given that some ships would not touch land for *years* at a time (resupplied at sea while on blockade duty), and frigates would routinely be out of sight for 6 months or more, a ship's doctor makes for a pretty implausible spy--in the realistic sense. (Not to mention that any counteragent would be bound to wonder how it was that a ship's doctor could ever stray so far from his post.) Agents of this type would be run by Canning & Co., and they would stay on land. I'm afraid I'd have to see an actual historical case before I could swallow this. Snarkhunter