Well, my lord, the one was something that dropped on my head - a piece of mortar-shell, I imagine; but luckily I was in the water at the time, so it did little damage, only tearing off a handsbreadth of scalp. The other was a sword-thrust I did not notice at the moment, but it seems it nicked some vessel, and most of my blood ran out before I was aware. Dr Maturin said he did not suppose there was more than three ounces left, and that mostly in my toes.
In "Post Captain" by Patrick O'Brian, a character recounts two significant injuries he sustained during a chaotic encounter. The first injury involved a piece of mortar-shell that fell on him, which, fortunately, occurred while he was submerged in water. As a result, the injury was relatively minor, causing only a small area of his scalp to be torn off.
The second injury was more severe; he received a sword-thrust that he didn't initially notice. However, it resulted in a serious loss of blood, and a doctor later revealed that only a small amount remained in his body, highlighting the severity of the injury. The character's nonchalance juxtaposed with the grave nature of his wounds adds depth to the narrative.
