Maturin finds himself hustling through the Atlas Mountains in North Africa seeking information from the Dey of Algiers to determine the location and status of the gold shipment. He also goes on a lion hunt with the Dey and has the chance to observe local wildlife, including an 'anomalous nuthatch' in North Africa. But he is a true 19th-century naturalist, taking every chance possible to observe, draw, capture and dissect animals wherever his trips take him. Readers of these novels become immersed in the life of the Royal Navy. They get almost no quarter when it comes to naval terms and shipboard mores.
Explanations are few.
On occasion, O'Brian uses Aubrey's explanations to Maturin to define terms and activities. But for the most part, readers are on their own to pick up sailing and naval jargon. The dialogue also is rich in the idiom of the time. The books have spawned a cottage industry of accompanying volumes. The true devotee can buy a lexicon of terms, which has with it a number of articles describing the various ranks and duties of the navy as well as ship descriptions.