With Lord Byron at the Sandwich Islands in 1825
The Lord Byron of the title is not the famous poet, but rather his cousin and successor of the peerage, the naval commander George Gordon Byron. He was commander of the HMS Blonde on its 1824/1825 voyage to Hawaii, undertaken primarily with the solemn mission of returning the bodies of King Kamehameha II (Liholiho) and Queen Kamamalu, both of whom had died of measles in England while trying to visit King George IV. In addition to the artist Robert Dampier, the crew also consisted of the Scottish botanist James McCrae of the Royal Horticultural Society, whose diary of the voyage, published in 1922, is featured here.
Enjoyed this piece? We need your help to keep publishing.
The PDR is a non-profit project kept alive by reader donations – no ads, no paywalls, just the generosity of our community. It’s a really exciting model, but we need your help to keep it thriving. Visit our support page to become a Friend and receive our themed postcard packs. Or give a one-off donation. Already a supporter? A huge thank you for making all this possible.
 | Underlying Work Rights | PD Worldwide |
| Digital Copy Rights |
| |
 | Download |
Aug 4, 2016
