Beaufoy Milton

England, 1645. The cruel civil war between Royalists and Parliamentarians that is ravaging the country causes an era of chaos and legal arbitrariness that allows unscrupulous men to profit by exploiting the absurd superstitions of the peasants; like Matthew Hopkins, a monster disguised as a man who wanders from town to town offering his services as a witch hunter.

In the late 18th century a small English village is haunted by ghostly apparitions. Sir Timothy Hassall, accompanied by his friend Gideon Cole, investigate.

The story of a surly crew, an honest God-fearing captain, a hardboiled-but-loyal Scotch mate, a scoundrelly second-mate, and then a mutiny, the fight and the final voyage to a safe harbor. But not before the Captain has been murdered, his pretty daughter in peril, her rescue by the single passenger on board, and a member of the crew thrown overboard by another crew member.