Letter book, 1846-1850, of H[er] M[ajesty's] S[team] S[loop] 'Geyser' containing copies of letters, Nov. 1846-May 1850 (ff. 1 verso-131), and memoranda, June-Dec. 1847 (ff. 179-180), sent by her commander, F[rancis] T[homas] Brown, mainly to his superiors.
The 'Geyser' was employed in famine relief in Western Ireland, Jan.-Apr. 1847 (ff. 6-34), and at the port of Setubal and elsewhere in Portugal during the Patuleia Revolt, June-July 1847 (ff. 43-52). She was subsequently stationed in the Cape Colony (South Africa) and Mauritius, Nov. 1847-May 1850 (ff. 63-131), and was sent on diplomatic missions, meeting with local chiefs and rulers in Madagascar and the Comoros Islands (ff. 81-102). The letters range from brief memoranda to lengthy reports and letters of proceedings; they include references to routine ship business and disciplinary matters, intelligence reports and accounts of diplomacy and treaty negotiations. Two additional copy letters have been pasted into the volume (ff. 119a, 122a).