when I very first started reading these novels, not having access to any websites and before I had The Sackett Companion, I always thought of Fair Blows the Wind as the book following To the Far Blue Mountains. While it is true that if you follow the dates that are stated in the texts you can figure out the timing, I really got into the stories and had not looked at those details so much.
There is one incident that stands out to me as an inconsistency. In Fair Blows the Wind, in chapter 5, Tatton mentions an old fisherman that gave him some money and clothes and advice to, “Leave the shore and go inland away from it. There be, many accents in England…try to learn a trade…” In chapter 21 of To the Far Blue Mountains a lad stows away on Barnabas’ ship in Ireland and is discovered when they land. The description of the boy is the same as Tatton, with the fine shoulders and the conversation that Barnabas has with him is almost exactly the same. At the end of the chapter the lad says, “My name?” He hesitated. “My first is Tatton. I’ll not be telling the other.”
It really doesn't change the enjoyment of either story and obviously since Louis said the hulk was the treasure ship, then that's that, but I just wondered if anyone had noticed or cared about this discrepancy.
#1. "RE: Fair Blows the Wind/To the Far" In response to Reply # 0
A little late but...To The Far Blue Mountains timeframe is 1610-1620. Fair Blows the Wind has 2 different timeframes depending on which one you choose. It could just be 1589 matching the map or 1575 to 1589 to encompass most of the story which is Tatton's adventures/life from age 14 - 28. So, To The Far Blue Mountains follows Fair Blows the Wind. Since Tatton was 14 in 1575, he couldn't be the same kid in To the Far Blue Mountains. Timeframes don't match up. Tatton was 28 in 1589. Nice catch though. Check out page 201 in Fair Blows the Wind and you will see why Tatton didn't want to give his "second" name. It does exist and it is highly an interesting read in Wikipedia. Cheers.
