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'A Sailor bringing up his hammock, Pallas, Jany 75' [Bray album]

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Date

January 1775

Description

No. 14 of 74. A drawing of a sailor signed 'AVprGB' (to the life by Gabriel Bray). This work probably shows a seaman bringing his hammock up to air from below on the 'Pallas' early in Bray's voyage to Africa, even though there is no trace of the ship shown. The hammock is clearly ticketted 'CD No. 4' referring to the man's place and number in the ship (see also PAJ1992), for which Bray may have had particular responsibility. This drawing, or one like it, is also shown being inspected in Bray's sketchbook by James Cornwallis - a relative of the captain's who was also on the voyage - in a portrait drawing of him from the same group (PAJ2018). Both are from 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

Atlantic Ocean

Medium

Watercolour