Collections : [Yale University -Yale Center for British Art]

The gun boat Kertch is pictured flying the white ensign. Porcher requested to use this vessel for his Cyrene expedition but was not permitted for use by the Admiralty.

The Grand Harbour was the cultural, administrative and business center of the island. The Order of St. John urbanized the space around the Harbour in the 16th century, and Valletta was constructed as the capital of the islands following the Ottoman Siege of 1564. As the administrative core of the Matese islands, Valletta's city planners stressed efficiency and centralization (Cassar 125-6).

"In fine, it may be said that Malta is as defensible as nature and art combined can render it" (Martin 159). Fort St. Angelo, also known as Castrum Marus, was first constructed in 878 AD as an Arab fortification and was built up by successive waves of invaders, and became the headquarters of the Grand Master. The structure withstood attack during the Ottoman siege of 1565, acting as the center of resistance and was later occupied by the British Army (Jackson 72-6).

The largest in the British empire, the Royal Naval hospital was situated near the walled city of Valetta, on the north side of the island (Gatewood). Legible on one of the tombstones are the names Dr. W. Martin and his wife, Eliza Martin.

The Hibernia, launched at Portsmouth in 1804, was a specially fitted 120 gun 'receiving and guard ship'. In this view, the ship is docked next to Fort St. Angelo (Castrum Maris), at the tip of the Vittoriosa Promontory, Grand Harbor of Malta. The British admiralty established its first dry dock in 1848, and the Grand Harbor grew as a key base for the Royal Navy. Dockyard Creek was also an important source of employment for the island's growing number of inhabitants (Atauz 181-2).

Porcher was appointed the command of the small paddle wheel HMS Harpy on May 1, 1858 replacing the ailing Lieutenant Bruce, to transport the archaeologist Nathan Davis to Tunisia. Porcher and crew were essential to Nathan Davis's archaeological mission, not only assisting with excavation work but transporting removed sculptures and pavement from the dig sites.