Short Fiction · Chapter
Sketch Fifth: The Frigate, and Ship Flyaway explained
The narrator recounts the near-destruction of the U.S.
What happens
The narrator recounts the near-destruction of the U.S. frigate Essex under Captain David Porter near Rock Rodondo in 1813, and its subsequent mysterious chase of an enigmatic ship that changed colors and vanished, emphasizing the strange enchantments of the Encantadas and listing key eyewitness authorities on the islands.
Themes in this chapter
Appearance vs. Reality
The mysterious ship that appears American by day and English by evening, and seems to sail in a calm, embodies the deceptive and enchanted nature of the islands.
Nature and Desolation
The perilous encounter with Rock Rodondo and the eerie calm that nearly destroys the frigate highlight the hostile and desolate power of the natural environment.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator (Encantadas Sketch Five)
The narrator recounts the historical episode of the USS Essex and the mysterious ship Flyaway.
- The Narrator (Encantadas Sketch Five)
The narrator speaks from the perspective of a sailor or observer familiar with the lore of the Encantadas.
Key passages
“Looking far forth into the ocean wide, A goodly ship with banners bravely dight, And flag in her topgallant I espide, Through the main sea making her merry flight.”
The narrator opens with a poetic vision of a splendid ship sailing across the ocean.
This epigraph sets a romantic, mysterious tone for the tale of the enchanted ship.
“This enigmatic craft—American in the morning, and English in the evening—her sails full of wind in a calm—was never again beheld. An enchanted ship no doubt.”
The mysterious ship, changing its national colors and sailing despite the calm, vanished forever, confirming the sailors' belief in its enchantment.
Highlights the theme of appearance vs. reality and the supernatural aura of the Encantadas.