Aubrey, in the Surprise, is sent in pursuit of the American frigate Norfolk. He chases her around the horn and into the Pacific. Stephen falls overboard in mid-Ocean, and Jack jumps in to save him. The ship sails away and the two are left afloat. They are rescued, after a fashion, by a canoe filled with warrior women, a Polynesian group who hate and make war on men. With the aid of a young woman who takes a liking to them, they are set loose on a deserted island. The Surprise finds them there and sets off after the American ship again. They find her wrecked on a remote island. The Surprise is driven off by a storm and Jack and his men find themselves stranded for several weeks. They are also outnumbered. When an American whaler shows up, the British are attacked and about to be made prisoners when the Surprise shows up, just in the nick of time.

A fascinating volume in the series.