Exploration and mortification: Fragile infrastructures, imperial narratives, and the self-sufficiency of British naval "discovery" vessels, 1760-1815.
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Authors
Publication Date
2020-11-06Journal Title
History of science; an annual review of literature, research and teaching
ISSN
0073-2753
Pages
73275320970042
Language
eng
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Physical Medium
Print-Electronic
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Caputo, S. (2020). Exploration and mortification: Fragile infrastructures, imperial narratives, and the self-sufficiency of British naval "discovery" vessels, 1760-1815.. History of science; an annual review of literature, research and teaching, 73275320970042. https://doi.org/10.1177/0073275320970042
Abstract
Eighteenth-century naval ships were impressive infrastructures, but subjected to extraordinary strain. To assist with their ‘voyage repairs’, the Royal Navy gradually established numerous overseas bases, displaying the power, reach, and ruthless logistical efficiency of the British state. This article, however, is concerned with what happened where no such bases (yet) existed, in parts of the world falling in between areas of direct British administration, control, or influence. The specific restrictions imposed by technology and infrastructures have been studied by historians interested in naval strategy, but they can also help to reframe national narratives of power, or observe the transnational interactions surrounding access to knowledge and resources. This paper discusses the material, cultural and diplomatic constraints that could appear when vessels, and especially ‘discovery ships’, sailed in strange waters or sought technical assistance in allied ports. I argue that the ‘mortification’ of some commanders at their vessels’ unfitness for service was an important – and often neglected – element on the palette of emotions undergone by voyagers, capturing their strong sense of ultimate material powerlessness. Such frustration even became embedded in imperial cartography, as shown by the case study of Matthew Flinders. This perspective highlights the limits of naval technology, complicating imperialistic ‘success stories’, and better reintegrating the Navy into the history of maritime travel and transportation, from which it is often singled out.
Sponsorship
Institute of Historical Research Scouloudi Fellowship.
Institute of Historical Research Power and Postan Fund.
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0073275320970042
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/311405
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