Voyager
Copyright 1994
Diana Gabaldon


Chapter 46: We Meet a Porpoise

Scene 1
As the trip proceeds without event, Marsali gathers the courage to ask Claire about birth control. She begins her inquiry claiming that she does not like Claire, but is seeking her advice since Jamie says she is a wise woman and seems honest, whore that she is. Marsali is relieved to know that Claire is aware of Fergus’ upbringing in the Paris brothel and his career as a pick pocket employed by Da. Marsali is fine with Fergus’ past, but is concerned about the information Laoghaire gave her regarding sexual intercourse. More specifically, it was not exactly what Laoghaire told her daughter, but how she acted that alarmed Marsali. When Marsali began menstruating, her mother informed her it was the curse of Eve that all women must endure. As explalined by good ole St. Paul, “women were filthy sinners because of what Eve did, but they could still be saved by suffering and bearing children.” Claire shares her thoughts about St. Paul and the rest of God’s chosen men, none which are too flattering.

Claire patiently listens to Marsali, (her step-step daughter?), who is confused about a woman’s duty to her husband -- “it must be awful”-- and learns about Laoghaire’s relationship with Jamie. Laoghaire was afraid of Jamie and didn’t like to be touched by him. Her daughters assumed that it was because she had beared children. A brazen Marsali reminds Claire that she witnessed Jamie with Claire being intimate and that Claire seemed to have enjoyed Jamie’s touch. Marsali assumes that the enjoyment was related to the fact that Claire has never been pregnant. Claire sets the record straight and reveals she has been pregnant twice and that Jamie fathered both of her children. She is willing to confide in Marsali to a certain extent to help the young girl with her misconceptions. Ultimately, Claire instructs her on the use of a sponge soaked in tansy oil to prevent conception. Marsali is struck by the knowledge that Jamie has never seen his grown daughter and asks Claire if she ever misses her. Marsali knows the answer to her question and is thinking of the odds of ever seeing her own mother again.

Their discussion is interrupted as the Artemis receives a warning shot from another ship, a British man-o-war. Captain Raines informs Claire, who refuses to take cover below deck, that the man-o-war can take any British men they wish to enlist as sailors. Jamie, refusing to pose as a Frenchman, is ready to submit and instructs Claire to continue toward Jared’s place at Sugar Bay and use the surname Malcolm. To everyone’s surprise, a young acting Captain Thomas Leonard of His Majesty’s ship, the Porpoise, boards the Artemis requesting a surgeon.

Scene 2
Captain Leonard explains that the Porpoise has suffered an outbreak of an infectious plague. Claire comes forward and inquires about the men’s symptoms. Feeling her adrenaline rise as she determines a diagnosis, typhoid, she must examine the afflicted to be certain. Ever ready to heal, Claire offers to board the Porpoise, even though Jamie is adamant that she not risk her life and the crew for the sake of Englishmen. Claire reassures him that she has been vaccinated and is protected from this illness. Jamie is not convinced until Claire claims that she has taken an oath and is obliged to heal the sick. She recites the Hippocratic Oath for Jamie who concedes he has taken an oath now and then and that some of them weight heavier than others. Claire reassures him that she is not reneging on her marriage vows by following her vow to heal -- “But where one vow can be kept, without damage to another . . . ?”

Scene 3
Claire bravely boards the Porpoise and her suspicions are confirmed, the men are suffering from typhoid, which can be curtailed as long as the healthy crewmen follow her instructions. Jamie is anxious for Claire to return to the Artemis and is none too happy when Claire tells him she needs two hours to complete the necessary preparations. As the ship begins to move, Claire finally realizes that Captain Leonard had no intention of releasing her. Her medical knowledge proved to be more essential than the help of the English and Scottish crew of the Artemis. Claire capitulates and is told about her assistants -- Mrs. Johansen, the gunner’s wife and Mr. Overholt, the purser. While taking leave of the captain she also overhears an exchange involving the mysterious Mr. Tompkins, who claims to have recognized the red haired cove on the Artemis. As Claire and Overholt review the crew’s menu, she is informed that the ship is carrying a VIP – the new governor of the island of Jamaica. (Did you guess who?)

Scene 4
Claire is assisted by a midshipman, Elias Pound, as she prepares to quarantine the crew. No more than seventeen or eighteen years old, he tells Claire that he has been at sea since the age of seven. An agreeable fellow, Pound becomes Claire’s right hand and shows her the tools and jars left behind in a chest by Dr. Hunter, the physician.

Scene 5
Claire is at war with the illness that plagues the Porpoise. She mentally charts her strategy to curb the disease and ticks each item off as it is duly noted – boil huge quantities of water; sterilize the goat milk; interview the galley hands about their duties; distill the available alcohol; boil and dry the hammocks, etc. . . . Claire is overcome briefly with a rush of loneliness and panic, but quickly resolves to speak with Captain Leonard as soon as possible regarding the source of the typhoid outbreak and the role of the unknown Tompkins in Jamie’s affairs. Until then, she focuses on healing the crew and seeks out Mrs. Johansen and her goats.


It is amazing how the best laid plans take a sudden detour in this chapter. We have Marsali coming to Claire for advice about a wife’s duty to her husband and the necessary precautions, (including a glimpse into Jamie's physical relationship with the Second Wife), and then segue towards the needs of the crewmen aboard the Porpoise. Vows and oath taking are essential in this chapter. Do you think Claire considered her marital vow to Jamie as second to her vow to heal or were they non-exclusive and equal in importance? Through and through Claire is a natural healer and cannot keep herself from offering assistance even when it is means risking her own safety to help the enemy. Aboard the Porpoise, she is once again the only woman among a group of men who are at her mercy. She is the crew’s lifeline and takes charge immediately. Is there any doubt Claire would not be ready for the challenge?

I am very interested in the relation of the vows of marriage and doctor. I don't think that Claire intended her visit to the Porpoise to last very long though. Maybe they were a bit incautious in the relief that the English did not intend to impress the crew?

Claire acquits herself very well in a most daunting task to control a plague on the ship.

It is too bad that this budding relationship between Claire and Marsali is interrupted. Marsali can be direct! The glimpse into Laoghaire's attitude toward Jamie is very interesting. Would you have been tempted to put off any discussion of the specifics of birth control since Fergus and Marsali were under Jamie's orders to remain apart?

No doubt that Claire is ready for the challenge. This is our Claire!

I think the balancing of her oaths of marriage and medicine is an interesting consideration, but as repoman said, I don't think she planned to stay on the Porpoise long - just long enough to diagnose the disease and give instructions on what the crew should do to combat it - so it's not like she expected it to have much of an impact on her marriage at all. One never expects to be kidnapped, as it were.

I also agree that it was a pity that Claire's conversation with Marsali was interrupted. For one thing, Marsali doesn't have all the info about birth control that she should have. For another, it was a chance for them to come to more of an understanding that hopefully would have continued during the remainder of the voyage had Claire been on the ship. I don't think telling her about birth control before the marriage was a bad thing. Better to give her the info in advance so she is prepared when the time comes (and we know it's coming - they are already handfast and just waiting for a priest), than wait and have her get pregnant unintentionally the first time (or one of the first times).

I didn't guess who the governor would be at the time, but I know now!

Claire is working her guess of Captain Leonard's age downward over time. When he first comes aboard the Artemis, she thinks he is in his late 20s. Later she thinks he is only 5 or 6 years older than Elias, whom she guesses is 17 or 18, which would be a maximum of 24 and likely younger. Actually, I think he's done a remarkable job of dealing with a really tough situation at a young age. I'm not happy that he kidnapped Claire and basically threatened Jamie and Raines with impressing the crew of the Artemis otherwise, but he's managed impressively well after losing all the senior officers and having to deal with a plague and the mission of getting the new governor to Jamaica ASAP.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Raines did not have much choice in the matter.

While Claire did not intend to remain on the Porpoise for long, she clearly went against her husband's wishes by even offering to board and treat the crew. She didn't really know what she was up against. I wish that sometimes she would heed Jamie's advice. Then again we would all miss out on these great adventures.

I wouldn't want to leave a discussion of this chapter without mentioning the title. From earlier adventures, we might assume the title indicates that we will have another adventure with a sea creature. Leave it to DG to introduce an English (OK, British by now) man-o-war by the name of Porpoise.

I do think that Captain Leonard's inexperience works in favor of the Artemis' crew. Leonard is satisfied with the medical assistance without pressing for crew members. Or, was he wiser by obtaining Claire's services instead?

Keep in mind that Claire is not quite the only woman on the Porpoise. There is the goat keeper, Mrs. Annekje Johansen, wife of the afflicted chief gunner.

Just before Marsali approaches Claire is another of those "Huh?" moments where DG is maybe deliberately tweaking the reader. Claire is "making surgical notes on a minor amputation - two smashed toes on one of the foredeck hands." Did anyone else need to read that twice?

Marsali could use some help on her people skills. She is not very complimentary to Claire while trying to find out some rather intimate information. But, I suppose a "whore" would be knowledgeable in such matters!

In her defense, Marsali does later warm up to Claire.

Interesting discussion on the relationship between the vows of marriage and the vows of a physician. I love how well Claire knows Jamie through and through and what makes him tick: He would probably have tied Claire to a mast with iron chains to prevent her going over to the Porpoise, until it became a matter of honor. An oath is sacred, no matter what; therefore, Jamie could not cause Claire to dishonor herself by abandoning her vow to heal.

(BTW, I found the side comments about her vow not allowing her to "seduce" quite funny! ). And relevant too, in a way, seeing how the beginning pages of the chapter were devoted to the sex education of someone who considers Claire a whore!

It also interested me to think about the situation as they'd understood it before Captain Leonard came on board. In thinking about the Artemis's crew being pressed, and possibly even Jamie as well, Jamie refused to consider masquerading as a Frenchman in order to save himself. Again, it comes down to honor and vows. While Jamie made not have taken a formal vow, he would certainly consider himself as having taken an oath to protect the men under his leadership. If Jamie had allowed himself to be take along with his men, how would he reconcile that action with his own marriage vows?

Thanks, Lady Jayne, for a nice summary.

I had never thought about Claire's vow to heal and her vow to Jamie as being in conflict, but they are, and seem to be often throughout the OL series. This would be a great topic by itself. There are times where I definitely think Claire puts her healing vow first. She most definitely puts the vow ahead of her own safety, which, to me, makes her character endearing for being so selfless. I do believe that Jamie understands this about her and know that it does not mean that she loves him less. That is something that Frank never seemed to grasp. Of course her love for Frank was different.

I was hoping, too, that Marsali and Claire could have finished their conversation. Marsali had been so poisoned by Laoghaire about Claire, and I was really glad that this was the first step in bringing about a thaw in their relationship. Claire remained gracious in the face of Marsali's repeated insults, never trying to defend herself. I am not so sure that I could have remained so kind.

Not a bad idea, TrudyJ. I created a new topic under the OL General Discussion thread entitled "To Love, Honor, Obey and Heal?" We can discuss the various vows and oath taking there.

Excellent! I will have to hunt for examples now!

Great summary and conversation about vows but it begs the question of Jamie in DIA who vowed not to go after BJR and then when he had to address the wrong against Fergus, went against Claire to pursue it.

I don't think that Capt Leonard wanted anyone from the Artemis onboard the Porpoise to interfere with his plan to collect their surgeon and complete his mission to Jamaica.

The title is a nice play on the word Porpoise/purpose. Marsali met a purpose for discussing an intimate situation with Claire her nemisis, Claire met a purpose to assist those dying men and explain her oath to Jamie, Jamie met a purpose to protect his men before himself, and Capt Leonard met a purpose to complete his mission and find help for his crew.

Great observation, Pauline!

Pauline, I would question that Captain Leonard had the intent to collect a surgeon from the Artemis when he first boarded. Recall that when Jamie and Claire were making preparations in Le Havre, a ship the size of the Artemis did not normally have a surgeon. I think that Captain Leonard was desperately looking for any help that he could find. What would have happened if Claire had not spoken up?