An East Indiaman (ship) buffeted by winds blown by four putti directed by the Earl of Buckinghamshire, President of the Board of Control. Coloured etching by C. Williams, 1813.

Plate from 'Town Talk', iv. 83. An East Indiaman, symbolizing the Company, heels dangerously, beset by huge waves, and by blasts from the mouths of four winds (right), inscribed respectively 'East', 'West', 'North', 'South', all directed against her by a winged man (Buckinghamshire) seated god-like upon clouds (right). He is a conventional bearded figure, surrounded by swirling drapery, on which (incorrectly) is a star. The ship, flying the striped ensign of the Company, recedes in perspective to the right, her stern towards the spectator. This is inscribed 'Inglis Commander' and 'The Directors of Leadenhall Street'. One man, the helmsman, is visible; he tugs at the tiller, saying, "Oh these cursed Buckinghamshire breezes will sink us, and there be at least 20,000 souls lost." The three-masted ship, crowded with sail, drives towards a lee shore, represented by a quay, backed by warehouses, where five vessels lie, inscribed respectively: 'Adventure of Bristol', 'Britainia of Plymouth', 'Happy Return of Liverpool', 'Swiftsure of Leith', 'Mercury of Glasgow'. On the quay are piled bales and packages inscribed 'for Madras', 'for Calcutta', 'for Bengal', 'for China'. Tiny figures stand behind them, cheering the doomed ship; eight labels ascend from them and from the anchored ships: 'Twenty of these bales I have had lying here these six months waiting for permission, freight, and one thing or another untill they were nearly spoiled'; 'Aye! Aye! we have long groan'd under this d—d Monopoly'; 'by [sic] thank God it looks in a dying state'; 'I wouldnt throw out a cable to save her—the timbers in her would have been enough for a hundred moderate merchantmen'; 'I believe so, & the pitch & tar & copper & rigging of her have cost the Nation a mint of money let the usurers deny it if they will'; 'Well if these tight little vessels can but get out one may venture at a bit of speculation now an then'; 'Shiver my topsails—but if that damnable twenty decker was once fairly stowed in Davys Locker, we should have plenty of freight'; 'Free Trade for ever! and No Monopolies; Da—me but I should like to see these Injies as they call um'; 'and we can direct ourselves to market without any Directors.' 1 March 1813 Hand-coloured etching

(Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', IX, 1949) For the controversy over the East India Company and the agitation of the Out Ports for untrammelled admission to the trade with India and China see No. 11999, &c.

Iconographic Collections
Keywords: Charles Williams; Robert Hobart