NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Fw: Basque Country XIX century
From: George Huxtable
Date: 2010 Mar 12, 14:40 -0000
From: George Huxtable
Date: 2010 Mar 12, 14:40 -0000
A week ago, Andres attached some interesting picture of French warships, adding- "The pics of vessels are from: Richards and Thomas HORNBROOK were two British soldiers who produced a series of drawings, watercolours and prints that illustrated their experiences in the Basque Country during the First Carlist War." It's a bit surprising, to me, that there's been no response from Navlist members, and I will copy the pictures here again so as to give the chance for a second look. Although I hadn't come across the marine pictures of the Hornbrook family before (I'm not well-up in art), it seems that they are quite well known marine artists of the early 19th century. As I understand it, Richards was the father. There was at least one other marine artist in the family, John, probably another son. It seems that Richards (and maybe Thomas, also) wasn't exactly a British soldier, as described, but actually a Marine. These were armed men, who, on British warships, were housed between the officers' quarters and those of the crew, and one of their functions was to keep them apart, the crew being often regarded as a greater enemy than the enemy. The marines were often cordially hated by both sides. They seldom took much interest in ship-matters, but Hornbrook was clearly an exception; those drawings show a fine understanding of ships' rigging and how it worked. What's unusual is for any British military personnel to find themselves able to make such detailed pictures of ships of the old enemy, France. I think the unusial occasion was when a British detachment found themselves in cahoots with the French (and much of Spain) against a common enemy, the Basques, in the 1830s, and besieged Bilbao. In those circumstances, the Basques didn't have much of a chance. Two of the pictures were marked with a location, which looks to me like "French Passages". I wonder if Andres has any notions as to where this might be. The really dramatic picture is 3227, which has presumably been presumably imagined, though such disasters did happen in reality. It shows a collision between two ships-of-the-line, likely French 74s, in a crowded stormy anchorage. One, with all sail firmly stowed, has fallen athwart the bows of another, destroying her beakhead and bobstay gear and allowing the bowsprit to cock upwards. That carries all the forestay rigging holding up the foremast, which has fallen aft, and is in the process of taking the mainmast with it, the mainstay having parted. That was one of the weaknesses of such bark rig, that the masts were so dependent on each other. What is rather curious is this. There's an anchor to be seen, hauled up to the cathead, but no other sign can I see of a cable to another anchor. Yet all sails have been given a harbour-stow, so the vessel wasn't in the process of coming to anchor, or deliberately leaving the anchorage, but expecting to remain anchored. So, presumably, the anchor must have dragged (but then the cable would still be seen), or else the cable has parted at the foc's'le, which seems the most like cause. The other anchor must then have been catted as an emergency measure, to drop when she has found clear swinging room. An intriguing picture anyway, and thanks to Andres for providing it. George. contact George Huxtable, at george@hux.me.uk or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222) or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.