Search

Logbook recording daily positions during the HMS Cleopatra's tour of duty. It commences with an account of the weight of various articles on board and the dimensions of the HMS Cleopatra, 26 Guns. The vessel departed Plymouth on May 13, 1849. It anchored at Rio de Janeiro, Singapore, and Labuan before arriving at Hong Kong October 15, 1849. The vessel sailed to Bombay, Malacca, Penang and Madras in 1850 and made repeat trips to Singapore and the South China Seas. The Cleopatra made its return voyage to England (via Cape of Good Hope), and docked in September 1853.

Navigational logbook recording daily positions during his tour of duty in Malta and the Middle East on the HMS Hibernia, H.M. Paddle wheel Harpy, HMS Schooner Kertch, and HMS Boxer. Porcher departed England for Malta on the Screw Steam Ship Colombo (February 20, 1857). Joining the Harpy in May 1858, he sailed with the Rev. Nathan Davis to Goletta, Tunisia, to assist with the archaeological expedition. On October 29, 1859, he departed for Livorno ("Leghorn") and Naples, returning November 22 the same year. He sailed twice to Tunis on the Schooner Kertch, once in February 1860, and in June, 1860. He departed for Benghazi in the HMS Boxer in November 1860. The dates of Porcher and Smith's expedition to Cyrene are omitted, likely because it was not under the auspices of Her Majesty's Service, but the logbook picks up again on their return to Malta via the HMS Melpomene (under command of Captain Ewart) in October 1861.

Watercolor sketch of a young woman in blue dress, from behind. Inscribed at bottom: "Taken from the club steps Valetta, July 1859." Inscribed at top: "B.G. as seen from the club steps, Valetta, en route to [illegible]."

Graphite sketch, with inscription: "Table laid, for our visitors at Cyrene"

This drawing, a frontispiece study for an unpublished publication or collection, combines visual elements from select locations of Porcher's travel, repeating motifs from his own work. Depicted are scenes from Australia (Aboriginal Australians or Torres Strait Islanders, upper left corner), Burma (stupa, center), India (elephant and howdah, lower right corner), Hong Kong (Chinese junk, center), the Middle East (scene from Tunisia or Libya, lower left). The albatross, while possibly a reference to Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, could also be a quotation of Porcher's watercolor "The Wandering Albatross of the Indian Ocean, July 1842," (National Library of Australia). An erased signature "H.S. Melville" at bottom right matches existing signatures by Harden S. Melville.

Turgut Reis (also known as Dragut Rais) was a privateer and head of the Barbary Corsairs who led the victorious campaign against Tripoli in 1551 for Suleyman the Magnificent. He also led the Siege of Malta, the culmination of struggles in the Mediterranean beginning with Ottoman control of Tunisia (Keyvanian 49). In 1565, Suleyman ordered the Siege of Malta. After leading the capture of Fort St. Elmo, Turgut Reis was struck by shot from cannon fire from Fort St. Angelo that fell near the Turkish battery. He was mortally wounded, creating a tremendous set-back for Turkish forces.