Napoleonic Wars (1803-15)
Views of naval engagements and maps of battles
Battle of Pulau Aur, 1804 (Pulau Aur Island, Johore, Malaysia) 22°70'00"N 104°31'00"E
published 24 Nov 1804Etching and engraving; printed on paper and pasted to left edge of view. Laid down on paper, the paper backing brought round the edges of the recto. | 16.0 x 38.9 cm (image) | RCIN 735111.b
Commodore Dance sailed with the homeward-bound East India Company's fleet of 16 Indiamen, laden with trade goods and other property, and 11 other ships from Canton on 31 January 1804. Two weeks later, off Pulo Aor (now Pulau Aur) they encountered a French squadron whose admiral, Linois, mistook them for fighting ships of the line. After firing a few shots the French fled, pursued for a while by Dance. His successful and bold action in safely escorting the trade ships earned him a knighthood and considerable pecuniary rewards.
The view shows, in the left foreground, the Warren Hastings, with the Ocean immediately behind; in the right foreground, the Dorsetshire. The three ships in the middle foreground, left to right, are the Exeter, Henry Addington and Cumberland. The line of ships in the background are, from left to right, the Wexford, Coutts, Abergavenny, Bombay Castle, Alfred, Hope, Warley, Camden, Ganges, Royal George. To the right of the Royal George, at the edge of the view, is the French ship Marengo. Directly behind the Marengo are three more French ships, the La Belle Poule, Semilante, and Atlante.
For further reading, see:
J.K. Laughton, 'Dance, Sir Nathaniel (1748–1827)', Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford, 2004; online edition 2008.
Condition: no fold lines.
George Andrews (active 1794-1813) (publisher) [bottom centre:] Published Nov. 24. 1804, by G. Andrews, 7 Charing Cross.
After Francis Sartorius (d. after 1808) (artist) [bottom left, below edge of view at RCIN 735111.a:] Painted by F. Sartorius from a Drawing taken on Board the Henry Addington.
William Barnard (d. 1849) (engraver) [bottom right, below edge of view at RCIN 735111.a:] Engrav'd by W. Barnard.
Subject(s)
Navy-FranceEast India CompanyCharles-Alexandre Léon Durand, Comte de Linois, Rear-Admiral (1761-1848)Royal George (HMS)East India CompanyWatermark: [On the backing paper?:] LONDON; countermark: 1800 / Ma[r]y & Pick
Condition: no fold lines
16.0 x 38.9 cm (image)
not visible or cropped (platemark)
17.2 x 40.5 cm (sheet)
Printed title:
Key to the Plate of the China Fleet [bottom centre]
Annotations:
(Recto) none. (Verso) [bottom left, black pencil, in a modern hand:] XV/111.b CMB ’87 Jan.
George III catalogue entry:
Naval Engagement View of the Action between the China Fleet under the Command of Sir Nathaniel Dance, and a Squadron of French Ships of War commanded by Admiral Linois, in the China Sea, on the 15.th of Feb.y 1804; by Sartorius, engraved by Barnard, and published by Andrews, 1804: with a Key.
Subject(s)
Pulau Aur Island, Johore, Malaysia (22°70'00"N 104°31'00"E)
Bibliographic reference(s)
H. Parker, Naval battles from the collection of prints formed and owned by Commander Sir Charles Leopold Cust, With an introduction by C.N. Robinson, London, 1911, no.163.b
J.K. Laughton, 'Dance, Sir Nathaniel (1748–1827)', Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford, 2004; online edition 2008.
Page revisions
5 June 2024
Current version
