print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.5576
- Title
- Object: Landing at Botany Bay
- Description
-
A sequel to BMSat 6990. The party of the Prince of Wales, dressed as in BMSat 6990, lands in a body, headed by George Hanger, who marches with a flag on which are fetters and the words 'The Majesty of the People'. Next walks Burke holding a tall crozier and reading from the 'Newgate Calendar'. Captain Morris and Erskine walk together; Morris has the legs of a satyr, his tongue protrudes, and he looks fiercely over his right shoulder. A box, inscribed 'The Critic \ Morris's Songs or Wit and Obscenity Propper Amuseme[nt] for a Prince \ Fiants', is slung across his shoulders. Erskine, the Prince's Attorney-General, carries before him a box surmounted by the Prince's feathers decorated with a large monogram, 'GP'. The rest of the party has not reached land: the Prince sits astride a plank carried by a convict, the other end being shoved off the boat by a convict in the stern. North and Fox, wading, support him by the right and left arms. These three have expressions of alarm and despair. Sheridan is absent. A convict in irons (left) is picking North's pocket. The bows of the boat are filled by convicts. In the middle distance is the ship: from the mainmast flies a pennant inscribed 'Coalition Transport Ct Morris commander'. A sailor standing on one of the yards waves a long streamer inscribed 'Send off the Long Boat Lord George is Preaching free Will to the Convicts'. From a cliff (left) a savage is about to hurl a rock on the ship, another uses a bow and arrow. In the distance (right) three naked savages flee from the ship; behind is a rocky peak. Beneath the design is etched, 'all these & more came flocking but with Looks down cast & Damp &c.' 16 November 1786
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1786
- Dimensions
-
Height: 402 millimetres
-
Width: 541 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938)
Lord George Gordon in 1786 wrote and published a pamphlet, 'A Petition to Lord George Gordon for the Prisoners in Newgate, praying for his Interference, and that he would secure their Liberties, by preventing them from being sent to Botany Bay', and had copies distributed in the prison. For this he was tried for libel in the King's Bench, 6 June 1787, and sentenced 28 Jan. 1788. Erskine was one of the counsel for the prosecution. 'Ann. Reg.', 1787, pp. 242 ff.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.5576