Alfred King Lewis 1818-1860 : barge builder and shipwright, Royal Navy

"Five years after Hong Kong became a British Protectorate, a young Carpenter's Mate, Alfred King Lewis became embroiled in the "Canton River Operations" in April 1847. The event was commemorated in a series of 11 hand-coloured lithographs which show the Bay of Victoria at Hong Kong, the British and Foreign Factories in the City of Canton (Guangzhou) China, sampans and junks as well as the Royal Navy paddle ships Vulture, Pluto, Espiegie, Corsair and Lorcha. These 11 prints have been reproduced for the first time in this book. Although written for family history, the book takes a first hand look at the Royal Navy through examining the activities of Ships' Carpenters in the 1840's. It also provides a social history of the London docklands area during the mid-1800's."--Provided by the publisher.