The floating prison : the remarkable account of nine years captivity on the British prison hulks during the Napoleonic wars, 1806 to 1814

A translation of Garneray's account of his life as a prisoner of war on board the prison hulks, originally published in French in 1851 as Mes Pontons. Louis Garneray (1783-1857), a marine artist, went to sea at the age of 13, serving on board privateers in the Indian Ocean until captured by the British in 1806. This work records Garneray's confinement on the Prothee, Crown and Vengeance, hulks stationed in Portsmouth harbour, and the Pegase, a hospital ship. In the foreword describing Garneray's life, the translator, Richard Rose, highlights inconsistencies in Garneray's account and casts some doubt on his reliability as a historian and narrator while accepting the accuracy of his depiction of daily life, routines and physical conditions on board the hulks. Garneray went on to become one of the foremost marine painters of his day, having developed his talent during his captivity. The title includes illustrations and plates of paintings by Garneray. Appendices provide lists of the hulks stationed at Portsmouth and French officers on board and on parole, details of Garneray's sources, background on the rafales, women on board, the mortality of prisoners of war, and brief biographies of people connected to the hulks and linked to Garneray's narrative. The work is supported by detailed notes and a bibliography.