That was one of O'Brien's late-life brain slips.  The actual novel _The Far Side of the World_ had a gunner's wife aboard, with spectacularly disasterous results, whom Steven interacted with a lot.  But apparently the adultery thread didn't make it into the movie, just like the US naval frigate.

Cheers--

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth Ragan                  [log in to unmask]
Anthropology                       410-548-4502
History Department              
380 Holloway Hall
Salisbury University
Salisbury, MD  21801  USA
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>>> [log in to unmask] 12/04/03 02:46PM >>>
On the whole topic of women on board, O'Brian backpeddled ungracefully in one of the last books of the series (after The Far Side of the World).