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The Coffin Expedition or Boney's Invincible Armada Half Seas Over, 6 January 1804

 Item — Box: LF104/7 Box 1
Reference code: LF104/7/58
The Coffin Expedition or Boney's Invincible Armada Half Seas Over, 6 January 1804
The Coffin Expedition or Boney's Invincible Armada Half Seas Over, 6 January 1804

Scope and Contents

Artist: Charles Williams. Published: S. W. Fores. Gunboats in the form of coffins are foundering or about to founder. Each has a single cannon in the bows, and a mast with a triangular sail whose corner is held in the teeth of the skull which surmounts the mast. The crews all wear shrouds and bonnets rouges; on the skulls also are bonnets rouges. Some of the men are screaming in the water, where a floating skull holds the end of a sail in its teeth, looking round fiercely at one of the drowning men. Others are still in the coffin-gunboats, holding muskets or making gestures of despair. One says: "Oh de Corsican Bougre, was make dese Gun Boats on purpose for our Funeral." In the background are two British men of war. Two tiny sailors say: "I say Messmate if we dont bear up quickly there will be nothing left for us to do", and, "Rigt [sic] Tom, & I take them there things at the mast head to be Boney's Crest, a Skull without Brains." Description from the British Museum.

Dates

  • Creation: 6 January 1804

Conditions Governing Access

Physical item available by appointment in our Reading Room

Extent

1.0 Item(s)

Language of Materials

English