The Landing of the Queen's Presents

On 12th June 1842 an Arabian man-of-war 'the first that ever appeared in English waters' came up the Thames and moored off the Victualling Yard at Deptford. The vessel came from Zanzibar carrying presents from the King of Muscat for Queen Victoria - including four valuable Arabian horses.

You can find out more about this in the Illustrated London News which is available online in all of Lewisham's Libraries and which can be used at home, etc, with your library card barcode. All of our online services can be accessed from here - http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/libraries/virtual-library/Pages/Online-services.aspx