[2] In January 1802 in Kingston, Jamaica, Hornblower and the other lieutenants of HMS Renown, Buckland, Bush and Kennedy, face a court-martial on the charge of mutiny.
A slave leader, "Colonel" Francois Lefanu, parlays with Buckland, admitting his men mistook the deserters for Spaniards.
Hornblower discovers a series of tunnels and leads some of the men inside; his quick thinking results in the capture of the fort.
At Hornblower's urging, Buckland stalls for time while a cannon is lifted up a cliff to where it can fire on the Spanish ships.
Bush and Kennedy disobey Buckland's order to remain aboard Renown and aid Hornblower in setting off the explosion.
The attempt fails, due in large part to Hornblower leading his crew back aboard Renown during the fighting.
The tribunal members are unimpressed with Buckland when they learn that during the Spanish attempt to seize Renown, he was surprised in bed and spent the fight tied up in his cabin.
In an effort to save his career, Buckland rashly states that Sawyer became mentally unstable because Hornblower pushed him into the hold.