Four strange sail in the southwest. That is what Nathaniel Dance saw on the morning of 14th February 1804 off the island of Pulo Aura on the east coast of Malaysia. Dance was the commodore of a fleet of 30 ships owned by the East India Company in convoy from China to Britain – known as the China Fleet. The China Fleet carried over £8 million in goods from Asia in its ships’ holds. I should be clear, that is £8 million in 1804 money, which would today be around £750 million.
Great stuff! I have ancestors who were in the Royal Navy at the time of the Seven Years War, and the Navy encouraged their officers to act in the same audacious and aggressive manner as Dance acted against Linois.
This has a real Patrick O’Brian feel, although Jack Aubrey would never have retired at the height of his triumph. A secondary pleasure of the article is the wonderful names of the French ships. I couldn’t believe they’d named one of them after a chicken; some brief research shows that Belle Poule, too, his some history.
When the British Empire almost went bankrupt
Not that a second Master & Commander film needs justifying, but this story would be perfect.
Great stuff! I have ancestors who were in the Royal Navy at the time of the Seven Years War, and the Navy encouraged their officers to act in the same audacious and aggressive manner as Dance acted against Linois.
Fantastic story. Thanks for sharing it!
This has a real Patrick O’Brian feel, although Jack Aubrey would never have retired at the height of his triumph. A secondary pleasure of the article is the wonderful names of the French ships. I couldn’t believe they’d named one of them after a chicken; some brief research shows that Belle Poule, too, his some history.