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

A set of caves described as "Calyspo's Grotto" were so called because they were thought to be described by Homer: "large was the grot in which the nymph be found" (fifth book) (Badger 288). In 1838, a British traveler writes: "Any admirer of natural scenery will be delighted with the prospect which stretches before the sight from the summit of this hill. The green spot beneath, washed at its base by the Bay of Mellieha, the islands of Gozo and Comino in the distance, and the rugged heights around, form a coup d'oeil not everywhere to be enjoyed in the island of Malta" (Badger 289).

The northernmost city in Africa, Bizerta is 40 miles north of Tunis, and 18 miles north of Utica. The date of this watercolor indicates that it was sketched after the completion of Nathan Davis's expedition, during one of Porcher's three return trips to Tunis in 1860.

Constructed in the mid-18th century, Fort Chambray on the island of Gozo (part of the Maltese Archipelago) rises up from the sea and contains a sizeable barracks. It was briefly occupied by British troops during the Crimean War (1853-56).

Tabarka is a coastal town situated in the northwest of Tunisia.

The "Giant's Tower" refers to the Ġgantija temple complex, thought to be constructed in Malta around 3500 BCE. These megalithic temples are the oldest stone structures of this magnitude, and thought to be dedicated to a fertility cult, by the presence of several thousand statuettes of the "Venus" type (Sorlini 140).

The capital city on the island of Gozo is Rabbato, which was re-named "Victoria" by the British in the late 19th century. The city is dominated by a citadel, Il Castello, the site of fortifications since ancient Phoenicians ruled the island.

Visible in the distance is Victoria Peak, which dominated early views of the city. Settlement soon began to encroach higher as the city expanded, with the most prestigious Western-style settlements on the peak.

This view perhaps records British vessels anchored at Dockyard Creek, Valetta. Porcher would later depart for Benghazi in the HMS Boxer in November 1860.