Naval battles

Scope and Contents: Porcher’s image (or another version of it) was adapted for publication in the Illustrated London News, October 4, 1851, which reported an “Attack on Chinese Pirates by the Boats of Her majesty’s Ship ‘Cleopatra,’” (402). On June 24th, the Superintendent of the police received news that fishermen at Mir’s Bay had been attacked by a fleet of junks led by “Shap-‘ng-tchi” (Shap-ng-tsai, the infamous pirate). Captain Massie of the Cleopatra ordered the barge,...

Scope and Contents: The incident Porcher depicts was reported in the Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1852 (222-223). Porcher and the crew of the Cleopatra, Pluto and Semiramis were traveling up the Tunku river in pursuit of the Illanun [Iranun] pirates responsible for the murder of the HMS Dolphin’s crew (see “25. Official visit of the Boats of the Cleopatra to the Pangeran Madoud’s house”). When they arrived at the residence of Rajah Muda, marines and armed men landed...

Overview: The papers consist of pamphlets and other printed matter with some letters, diaries and manuscripts relating to naval affairs. The largest block of material concerns World War I, particularly the questions of the German naval mutiny of 1917, the surrender of the German fleet in November 1918, and the scuttling of its most important units at Scapa Flow in 1919. Also in the collection are circa two thousand postcards showing World War I naval scenes and photographs of American transports.