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African canoe paddling through surf [Bray album]

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Date

probably January - April 1775

Description

No. 47 of 74. A drawing presumably from the 'Pallas' voyage of 1775, though not dated. The Africans are likely to be Fante or Krumen, depending on the exact location. Landing at points on the Africa coast could be dangerous because of the surf: an early attempt by the 'Pallas' to send a boat ashore resulted in the boat being overset on reaching it and several men drowning. Local canoes such as this were more skilled and suited to the conditions but also subject to accident. On 3 April 1775 while anchored off Whydah, the 'Pallas' sent a 'saine in a bag' (probably a seine net for fishing) ashore in a canoe and it was lost when the canoe capsized in the surf.This is one of 73 drawings by Bray (plus one signed 'NF 1782') preserved in a 19th-century album. They have now been separately remounted. Bray (1750-1823), was second lieutenant of the 44-gun ‘Pallas’ under Captain the Hon. William Cornwallis (1744-1819) – later a well-known admiral - on two voyages (1774-77) to report on British interests in West Africa, including the slave trade. The dated drawings refer only to the first of these, from December 1774 to September 1775, though a few may be from the second. Others comprise country views, some of Deal, Kent (where Bray may have come from), and others of social-history interest.

Image Licence

CC BY-NC-ND

Image Credit

Location

Mankessim, Ghana

Country

Ghana

Medium

Watercolour