Printed Ephemera — 1820-1824
Prince Leeboo of the Pelew Islands
Children's chapbook with half page hand coloured illustrations and text in verse form. The chapbook was published by W. Belch, and has eight pages, with an illustration of a sailing ship on the front cover. It tells the true story of Prince Lee Boo who voyaged to London from the Palau Islands in the Pacific in 1784. He sailed with Henry Wilson, captain of 'The Antelope', an East India Company ship which was wrecked near the Islands. The islanders helped the crew to rebuild their ship, and King Abba Thule asked them to take his son Lee Boo to be educated in England. Six months after his arrival in London, Lee Boo died of smallpox aged only 20, and was buried in St Mary's churchyard in Rotherhithe.
- Category:
- Printed Ephemera
- Object ID:
- 59.100
- Object name:
- Prince Leeboo of the Pelew Islands
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- Belch, William
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- 1820-1824
- Material:
paper, ink
- Measurements/duration:
- H 162 mm, W 97 mm, D 3 mm
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.