Powell was born in 1853. As a young man he served aboard HMS ‘Britannia,’ ‘Victory,’ and ‘Temeraire’; after this naval apprenticeship he travelled widely, exploring New Britain from 1877-1880 and describing his experiences in ‘Wanderings in a wild country’ (1883). In 1885 he was appointed Consul in Samoa and Deputy Commissioner for the Western Pacific, but was recalled in 1886 (this was not a reflection of Powell’s ability but was the result of an agreement with the German Government that Stuebel, who had been meddling shamelessly in Samoan Government affairs, should also leave). Powell was then made Consul in Stettin, from which post he attended the Berlin Conference on Samoa in 1889 (see Y309C introduction), acting as Clerk to the British delegation, and as an advising authority on the Samoan situation. Here his contact with the Pacific largely ended, the rest of his career being spent in various consular posts in America. He was promoted Consul-General in 1913, and retired in 1916. He died in 1942.