“All right me hearties, let's lift the anchors. Set to it lads, get on the anchor chains. Let's get 'em up fast,” called Ben, the second mate.

Victor gave his orders for the main sail, and the crew didn’t need persuading to climb the ropes and tend to the rigging. They were all anxious to savour the delights of Rio, and one group started to rig the top gallants without waiting for orders.

“Did you order the top gallants up?” asked the captain of Victor.

“No sir, I didn't,” replied Victor, “the men did it themselves. I guess they want to hurry on to Rio.”

“Well, tell 'em to furl 'em,” the captain growled, “I can't have too much speed entering the harbour Now see that those top gallants are furled, and fast!”

“Yes sir, right away sir,” said Victor and then shouted to his crew in the rigging, “Furl those top sails, men!”

The men in the rigging quickly furled the offending sails but stayed up in the rigging to cheer their approach to Rio. They searched for the first sight of the mountain behind the town.

They were still hanging in the rigging cheering as the Quebec rounded the harbour buoys and headed for a mooring in the bay. The captain issued a further stern order to all deck hands “All hands on deck, and stay there until we are moored.”

When they reached the centre of the harbour, Captain Dodds gave orders to drop the main sail, and to release the fore and aft anchors. The ship came to a gentle halt in the middle of the bay, and the captain called the mates to his cabin for a conference.

“Gentlemen, here we are, and I see there is a British Navy ship in the harbour too, by the way. You'll have to tell the men to be careful if they go into town tonight, those tars stick together and when they are in a foreign port like this, and out of reach of their own shore patrols, they get wild!”

“We'll warn the men before they go ashore,” said Ben.

“Looks like they'll know about it soon enough,” said Victor. “Here comes a boat from the British ship right now.”