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    Fw: Basque Country XIX century
    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.
    
    
    
    
    

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