Description
No. 38 in Fanshawe's Pacific album, 1849 - 52. Captioned by the artist on the album page below the image, as title. A linking passage by Fanshawe's daughter in his 1904 biography explains the origin of this view of the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, near Realejo, taken from the 'Daphne': 'On the arrival of the English mail E.[dward] left Panama for Realejo, where he expected to find the flagship ['Asia', of Rear-Admiral Phipps Hornby, C-in-C in the Pacific]. The Admiral, however, was gone further north, and E. followed along the coast of the Republic of San Salvador, getting fine views as he passed of the volcanos El Viejo and Monotomba' (p.258). Realejo is on the coast west and slightly north of Lake Managua: at this time it was a significant port but coastal change later saw it replaced by nearby Corinto. The 1745 metres high volcano, commonly known today as San Cristobal, was named "El Viejo" after the cacique Agateyte, lord of the nearby town of Tezoatega (variously spelled), at the time of the Spanish conquest. When Fanshawe met the 'Asia' in the Gulf of Fonseca, a little further north, Hornby learnt from the mail of the death at home of his eldest son, which made his accompanying flag-lieutenant second son, Geoffrey, his heir. 'Daphne' then returned with home mails to Panama and sailed from there again on 27 April for Valparaiso, which she reached on 29 May. From an album of watercolours of Madeira, Brazil, the Falkland and Pacific Islands, Chile, Panama, Mexico, Vancouver, and California. It covers Fanshawe's commission in command of HMS 'Daphne' 1848-52, on the Pacific station based at Valparaiso, Chile, under Rear-Admiral Phipps Hornby in the 84-gun 'Asia'. The earliest dated drawing is of Madeira, 1 January 1849 on the way out, and the last of Cape Horn on the return, 28 May 1852. For further details, see collection online record.
Image Licence
CC BY-NC-ND
Image Credit
© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Location
San Cristobal Volcano, Nicaragua
Country
Nicaragua
Medium
Watercolour
Tags
Category
Landscapes & Seascapes
