King George
King George was a British merchant ship launched in 1785 for a combined exploration, maritime fur-trading, and whaling voyage across the Pacific.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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History
King George was launched in 1785 for the King George's Sound Company, a partnership created by Richard Cadman Etches and associates to develop commercial opportunities in the Pacific, particularly the maritime fur trade and whaling. The partnership included Nathaniel Portlock and George Dixon, experienced Pacific navigators who had participated in James Cook's third voyage. Portlock became master of King George, while Dixon commanded Queen Charlotte, the smaller vessel accompanying it. The two ships departed England in September 1785. They crossed the Atlantic and reached Port Egmont in the Falkland Islands on 5 January 1786 before passing Cape Horn and entering the Pacific. In May they reached the Hawaiian Islands. The expedition anchored at Kealakekua Bay but did not go ashore there, and later obtained provisions elsewhere in the islands. The vessels then continued north toward the coast of present-day Alaska and British Columbia, where they spent approximately two years whaling and seeking sea-otter pelts and other furs. The expedition left the Northwest Coast in 1787 and reached Macao in November. At China, Portlock obtained a cargo for the British East India Company. King George began its return journey on 10 February 1788, reached waters near Enggano Island on 13 March, called at Saint Helena on 13 June, and arrived at The Downs on 23 August. The voyage thus combined exploration, whaling, fur trading, and carriage of East India Company cargo while completing a circumnavigation of the globe. Following the voyage, both Portlock and Dixon published accounts describing the expedition. These works contributed to contemporary European knowledge of the Pacific and the Northwest Coast. King George subsequently appears to have passed to new owners and operated between Britain and South Carolina. It was no longer listed after 1796, and the available historical record does not establish what happened to the ship afterward.
- 1796
Last known listing
[1]King George was no longer listed after 1796; its later fate is not established in the cited historical record.
- 1789
Publication of voyage accounts
[1]Nathaniel Portlock and George Dixon each published an account of the voyage of King George and Queen Charlotte.
- 1788
Completion of circumnavigation
[1]King George returned to England in August after sailing from China and completing a circumnavigation of the world.
- 1787
Arrival at Macao
[1]After operating in the Northwest Coast region, King George reached Macao in November and took on cargo associated with the British East India Company.
- 1786
Entry into the Pacific
[1]After calling at the Falkland Islands and rounding Cape Horn, King George reached the Hawaiian Islands in May and proceeded toward the Northwest Coast.
- 1785
Launch and formation of the Pacific expedition
[1]King George was launched, and the King George's Sound Company organized a commercial expedition with Queen Charlotte to pursue Pacific whaling and the maritime fur trade.
- 1785
Departure from England
[1]King George, commanded by Nathaniel Portlock, sailed from England in September with Queen Charlotte under George Dixon.
Products and positioning
A British merchant vessel positioned for long-distance exploration and commercial exploitation of Pacific whaling and fur-trade opportunities.
Historical merchant ship · 1785
King George
A British merchant vessel launched in 1785 and operated for a major Pacific expedition. Its commercial activities included whaling, the search for maritime furs along the Northwest Coast, and carriage of a cargo for the British East India Company after reaching China. The ship also completed a circumnavigation between 1785 and 1788. It later appears to have traded between Britain and South Carolina before disappearing from listings after 1796.
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