► William Loney R.N. ► Documents ► Ships' logs Pantaloon ◄► Apollo
Extracts from the log of HMS Amphitrite for the period 14 July 1847 - 26 July 1850
Sources: ADM 53/2091, 14 July 1847 - 7 February 1848; ADM 53/2092, 8 February 1848 - 7 August 1848; ADM 53/2093, 8 August 1848 - 11 February 1849; ADM 53/2094, 12 February 1849 - 27 September 1849; ADM 53/2095, 28 September 1849 - 20 April 1850; and ADM 53/2096, 21 April 1850 - 26 July 1850.Portsmouth - Spithead - Plymouth - Lisbon - Sierra Leone - Ascension - Bights of Benin and Biafra (with a number of visits to Princes Island and Ascension) - Ascension - Rio de Janeiro - Valparaiso - Callao - Honolulu - Hawaii - Valparaiso - San Blas - Mazatlán - San Blas - Manzanillo - Valparaiso - Rio de Janeiro - Portsmouth (Google map
).
Amphitrite, a 46 gun frigate launched just after the Napoleonic wars, was commissioned by Thomas Rodney Eden on 14 July 1847 after being cut down to a 24 gun corvette. This was to be a long voyage, cruising first for a year on the Bights of Benin and Biafra division of the West African station - during which time four prizes were taken - and then sailing via Rio de Janeiro round Cape Horn to Valparaiso in Chile. Then via Callao in Peru to the Hawaiian Islands and to the coast of Mexico - where Captain Eden died of fever - before returning via Valparaiso and Rio de Janeiro to England.
The purpose of the long Pacific cruise is not quite clear; information contained in the "Naval Intelligence" column of the "Times" newspaper of the period (links in day-of-week column) do, however, suggest at least a mercantile element.
It was on this voyage that William Loney obtained the "complete Esquimaux Dress" and the "Skull of one of the flat-head Indians" which he donated to the "Museum and Library established at Haslar, for the benefit of the Medical Officers of the Navy".
Here is a complete list of officers serving during the commission of 13 July 1847 - 26 July 1850 (from the ship's muster book). The ship carried a Surgeon and an Assistant Surgeon during almost the whole commission.
| 1847 | ||
| 14 Jul | Wed | The ship was commissioned by Captain Thos. Rodney Eden. Lashed to the Blake Hulk in Portsmouth Harbour |
| 7 Sep | Tue | Moored at No. 3, Portsmouth Harbour |
| 8 Sep | Wed | Moored at Spithead |
| 16 Sep | Thu | Spithead |
| 18 Sep | Sat | Spithead |
| 20 Sep | Mon | At single anchor, Spithead |
| 21 Sep | Tue | Spithead |
| 22 Sep | Wed | Spithead |
| 23 Sep | Thu | Weighed, for Plymouth |
| 24 Sep | Fri | Hove to off the breakwater [Plymouth]... Received 20 boys of the 1st class and 20 boys of the 2nd class for disposal on the coast of Africa |
| 3 Oct | Sun | At anchor off Lisbon |
| 8 Oct | Fri | Standing out of the river |
| 9 Oct | Sat | Cruizing off Lisbon |
| 16 Oct | Sun | From Lisbon, to Madera |
| 22 Oct | Fri | West end of Madera by compass SWbW 35 miles. From Madera, to Sierra Leone |
| 18 Nov | Thu | At single anchor, River Sierra Leone |
| 21 Nov | Sun | From Sierra Leone, along the coast southward. Cruizing |
| 16 Dec | Thu | At single anchor off Freetown, Sierra Leone |
| 1848 | ||
| 9 Jan | Sun | At single anchor off the Banana Islands |
| 16 Jan | Sun | Standing along the land to the northward |
| 17 Jan | Mon | At single anchor off Freetown |
| 20 Jan | Thu | Working out of the river At single anchor waiting the tide Dropping out of the river |
| 23 Jan | Sun | At single anchor off Monrovia, Cape Mesurado |
| 24 Jan | Mon | Standing out of bay |
| 29 Jan | Sat | At single anchor Cape Coast roads |
| 30 Jan | Sun | 11.30 a.m. The Governor of Cape Coast [William Winniett; 1846-1849 and 1850] came on board. Manned yards 2 p.m. The Governor left the ship. Saluted him with 13 guns |
| 3 Feb | Thu | Weighed and made all sail |
| 4 Feb | Fri | At single anchor Accra roads Weighed and made all plain sail |
| 8 Feb | Tue | Running for the anchorage off Lagos. At single anchor in Lagos roads |
| 11 Feb | Fri | Weighed and made sail |
| 16 Feb | Wed | At single anchor Quitta. Received from the shore, purchased by the Paymaster and Purser, live oxen, 8 in no., with the proportion of vegetables. Weighed and made sail |
| 21 Feb | Mon | At single anchor off River Lagos |
| 22 Feb | Tue | Weighed and made sail |
| 28 Feb | Mon | Boarded Bridgton of Philadelphia, Whydah to Bahia, apparently fitted for the slave trade: The master made no complaint nor did he require any insertion to be made on his papers or log |
| 3 Mar | Fri | 5.48 °N 2.17 °E |
| 9 Mar | Thu | 6.03 °N 2.30 °E |
| 11 Mar | Sat | Discharged Hy Loney, supry Asst Surgeon to HMS Britomart [I have found no evidence that this officer was a relative of William and Edward Loney] |
| 17 Mar | Fri | 5.48 °N 3.44 °E |
| 22 Mar | Wed | At single anchor in West Bay |
| 25 Mar | Sat | Made all plain sail, weighed and set port studding sails |
| 28 Mar | Tue | At single anchor off Adelaide Island, Fernando Po |
| 29 Mar | Wed | 10 a.m. Mr Beecroft came on board and took charge as pilot 10.30 Weighed and made all plain sail At single anchor off Bimbia |
| 5 Apr | Wed | Weighed and made all plain sail |
| 6 Apr | Thu | At single anchor off Clarence Cove |
| 10 Apr | Mon | Weighed and made sail out of Clarence Cove |
| 13 Apr | Thu | At single anchor, West Bay, Princes [Island] |
| 18 Apr | Tue | From Princes [Island], to Ascension |
| 28 Apr | Fri | Ascension |
| 3 May | Wed | From Ascension, to Cape Lopez [the southern limit of the Bights of Benin and Biafra division of the West African station] |
| 19 May | Fri | p.m. 3 Obs'd a sail under the land. Made all plain sail, and set stard studg sails 4.40 Mustered at quarters, fired a blank gun. Stranger took in his topgalt sails but still kept his wind 5 Fired another gun. Stranger showed Brazilian colours, still keeping the wind 5.15 Fired a gun shotted, ahead of chase. Set spanker 5.30 Stranger shortened sail and bore down to close us. Tacked and hove to on the port tack. Down boat, sent her to board stranger. Found her to be the Triumpho de Brazil, belonging to Bahia, from Zanga Janja where she had landed her outward cargo. Sent Mr [Henry] Hutchings, 2nd Master to take charge of her for the night |
| 20 May | Sat | Discharged Mr Hutchings, 2nd Master, 5 seamen and 1 Krooman into the detained schooner to navigate her to St Helena for adjudication [awarded tonnage bounty by prize court on 29 October 1850] |
| 22 May | Mon | At anchor, off Caroco Island [a small island south-east of Princes Island] |
| 24 May | Wed | At single anchor, West Bay |
| 28 May | Sun | From Princes [Island], to the Bight of Benin |
| 10 Jun | Sat | Off Whydah cruizing |
| 23 Jun | Fri | Off Palma: 4.49 °N 4.15 °E, Palma N29W 36 miles |
| 24 Jun | Sat | a.m. 6.25 Obsd a sail on lee bow. Made all sail in chase. Hoisted general signals to chase. Obsd stranger make all sail to the northward p.m. 2 Obsd stranger shorten sail 2.20 Do hove to. Shortened sail to topsails. Lowered 1st and 2nd cutter to board stranger 2.30 Shortened sail and came to in 5½ fthm. Veered to 24 fthm 3.10 Weighed and made all plain sail to topsails, jib and spanker 3.30 Hove to. 1st cutter returned having boarded the Brazilian schooner "Curioso", perfectly fitted for the slave trade 4 Filled on the starboard tack. Hove to. Filled to close prize at anchor 5 Hove to 6.30 Sent prize crew and provisions on board prize [awarded tonnage bounty and proceeds of hull &c by prize court on 29 October 1850] |
| 2 Jul | Sun | a.m. 4.40 Observed a sail on lee bow. [sailed?] in chase of do. Stranger proved to be a Brazilian schooner. Lowered cutter to board do. Cutter returned having detained the Brazilian slave schooner "2nd July" with 306 slaves. Employed transferring same from schooner to ship 5.55 °N 2.26 °E, Whydah N49W distance 33 miles [awarded slave and tonnage bounties for the "Secundo de Julho" by prize court on 29 October 1850] |
| 3 Jul | Mon | 5.5 °N 3.14 °E, Whydah N70W distance 74 miles |
| 6 Jul | Thu | 5.36 °N 3.57 °E, Whydah N67W distance 121 miles p.m. Observed on wr. [=weather] bow. Cast off detained schooner. All plain sail to top gallt. in chase 3.15 Made out stranger to be the detained schooner "Curioso" 4 Lowered cutter. Employed transhipping slaves from ship to schooner "Curioso" 7.30 Wm. Richardson, AB no. 131 fell overboard from the first cutter while alongside the "Curioso" and was drowned |
| 7 Jul | Fri | Held a survey of the detained schooner "2nd of July" Discharged Lt [Walter] Strickland, Mr [James] Wilcox Mids, 6 seamen, 2 kroomen and 1 marine to navigate the detained schooner "Curioso" to Sierra Leone, having on board all the slaves, 306 in no. taken on the Brazilian schooner "2nd of July". Took the latter vessel in tow |
| 8 Jul | Sat | 5 p.m. Cast off the detained slave schooner - 2nd of July - and went to general quarters, firing at schooner. Time from beat of drum to 1st gun: 6 min 5.20 Schooner filled with water and disappeared [awarded slave and tonnage bounty for "Secundo de Julho" by prize court on 29 October 1850] |
| 12 Jul | Wed | Whydah |
| 15 Jul | Sat | At single anchor off Little Popoe Weighed and made sail |
| 20 Jul | Thu | 5.35 °N 1.12 °E, Cape St Pauls N58W, 21 miles At single anchor Quitah roads |
| 22 Jul | Sat | Sailed |
| 2 Aug | Wed | At single anchor, West Bay, Princes Island |
| 8 Aug | Tue | From Princes Island for the Bight of Benin |
| 11 Aug | Fri | Bight of Benin |
| 14 Aug | Mon | From the Bight of Benin, to Ascension |
| 21 Aug | Mon | 0.18 °S 5.29 °E |
| 30 Aug | Wed | At single anchor, Ascension roads |
| 2 Sep | Sat | Employed receiving provisions and stores for the Bight Division |
| 3 Sep | Sun | From Ascension, to the Bight of Benin |
| 8 Sep | Fri | 2.28 °S 6.51 °W |
| 10 Sep | Sun | 1.47 °N 1.51 °W a.m. 4.50 Observed a sail on weather bow, wore, trimmed and made sail as requisite for chase Daylight Delivered 3 or 4 shot, with musquets, at chase, stranger showed Brazilian colors 6.30 Stranger rounded to. Down boats and boarded do. Proved to be the St Antonio from Whydah bound for Bahia with 297 slaves on board. Detained her Employed transporting prisoners from the prize to the ship. Received 18 prisoners p.m. Discharged Mr [Acting Lieut. William] Graham, 5 seamen, 1 boy, 1 marine and 1 krooman to navigate detained vessel to Sierra Leone 1 Parted co. with chase [awarded slave and tonnage bounty for "St Antonio Triumpho" by prize court on 13 May 1851] |
| 15 Sep | Fri | Cruizing in the Bight of Benin |
| 17 Sep | Sun | 8 a.m. Observed a sail ahead. Made all possible sail in chase |
| 18 Sep | Mon | p.m. Fired a shotted gun. Stranger shortened sail and shewed Brazilian colors. Hove to and sent cutter on board stranger. Do. proved to be the Brizalian brig "Josepha", fully equipped for the slave trade. Detained do. Employed receiving on board prisoners, 30 in no. 3.50 Up boat. Brig in charge of Mr [Valentine G.] Roberts, Master |
| 20 Sep | Wed | Hove to. Prize do. Sent Lieut Furneaux and a party of hands on board the detained vessel "Josepha". Parted company with prize [arrived at St. Helena on 24 October 1848, and condemned by Vice-Admiralty court on 9 November 1848; awarded tonnage bounty and proceeds of hull &c by prize court on 13 May 1851] |
| 22 Sep | Fri | Hove to off the River Lagos. Fired 2 blank guns. Discharged all the prisoners, 29 in number to the shore [the 30th prisoner had presumably been sent in the prize to answer the prize court] |
| 4 Oct | Wed | From the Bight of Benin, to Princes Island |
| 6 Oct | Fri | At single anchor, West Bay, Princes Island |
| 12 Oct | Thu | From Princes Island, to the Bight of Benin |
| 13 Oct | Fri | Cruizing in the Bight of Benin |
| 29 Oct | Sun | At single anchor off Little Popo |
| 1 Nov | Wed | Weighed |
| 4 Nov | Sat | At single anchor off Whydah |
| 11 Nov | Sat | Weighed and made all plain sail |
| 14 Nov | Tue | At single anchor off Lagos |
| 18 Nov | Sat | Running along the land to the eastward |
| 19 Nov | Sun | Cruizing in the Bight of Benin |
| 28 Nov | Tue | At single anchor off the River Lagos |
| 1 Dec | Fri | From Lagos to Palma |
| 2 Dec | Sat | From Lagos, to Princes Island |
| 12 Dec | Tue | West Bay, Princes Island |
| 14 Dec | Thu | From Princes Island, to Ascension |
| 22 Dec | Fri | 0.19 °N 3.17 °E |
| 29 Dec | Fri | 5.35 °S 10.15 °E |
| 31 Dec | Sun | Ascension |
| 1849 | ||
| 3 Jan | Wed | Discharged the whole of the Africans, 23 in number to HMS "Tortoise" - their wages being paid per order by Paymaster and Purser |
| 4 Jan | Thu | From Ascension, to Rio Janeiro |
| 18 Jan | Thu | Rio harbour |
| 27 Jan | Sat | From Rio, to Valparaiso [Chile] |
| 16 Feb | Fri | 55.30 °S 57.53 °W |
| 20 Feb | Tue | 59.41 °S 68.20 °W [furthest point south, rounding Cape Horn] |
| 22 Feb | Thu | 58.18 °S 79.46 °W |
| 28 Feb | Wed | 48.19 °S 82.56 °W |
| 6 Mar | Tue | Moored in Valparaiso Bay |
| 2 Apr | Mon | Cruizing off Valparaiso |
| 8 Apr | Sun | From Valparaiso, to Callao [the port of Lima, Peru] |
| 11 Apr | Wed | 21.10 °S 77.0 °W |
| 16 Apr | Mon | At single anchor, Callao roads |
| 22 Apr | Sun | From Callao, to the Sandwich Islands [= Hawaiian Islands] |
| 27 Apr | Fri | 5.32 °S 91.42 °W |
| 6 May | Sun | 1.58 °N 111.14 °W |
| 15 May | Tue | 11.43 °N 129.47 °W |
| 20 May | Sun | 18.35 °N 148.53 °W |
| 24 May | Thu | Moored in Honolulu Harbour, Island of Woahao [= Oahu] |
| 7 Jul | Sat | From Honolulo, to Owhyhee [= Hawaii] |
| 22 Jul | Sun | 21.0 °N 155.36 °W |
| 23 Jul | Mon | At single anchor in Byrons Bay [modern Hilo Bay, Big Island], Owhyhee |
| 4 Aug | Sat | From Byrons Bay, to Valparaiso |
| 5 Aug | Sun | 19.54 °N 154.29 °W |
| 13 Aug | Mon | 10.0 °N 145.23 °W |
| 20 Aug | Mon | 4.59 °N 144.1 °W |
| 27 Aug | Mon | 15.22 °S 148.41 °W |
| 4 Sep | Tue | 33.06 °S 137.46 °W |
| 18 Sep | Tue | 35.27 °S 87.43 °W |
| 25 Sep | Tue | At single anchor, Valparaiso Bay |
| 28 Sep | Fri | Weighed and stood out of the bay under all plain sail, leaving at anchor HMS Asia, schooner Cockatrice, steamer Driver and Nereus |
| 4 Oct | Thu | 18.16 °S 81.48 °W |
| 16 Oct | Tue | 3.12 °N 104.32 °W |
| 24 Oct | Wed | 20.58 °N 107.11 °W |
| 27 Oct | Sat | At single anchor off San Blas [21.35 °N 105.20 °W] |
| 4 Nov | Sun | From San Blas, to Mazatlan |
| 7 Nov | Wed | 21.12 °N 106.45 °W |
| 9 Nov | Fri | Moored in Mazatlan Harbour |
| 1850 | ||
| 11 Jan | Fri | a.m. 2h.15m Departed this life "Thomas" "Rodney" "Eden" - "Captain" Recd f[resh] beef 224 lbs, vegetables 112 lbs 8 Up top gallt yards & fired 9 minute guns p.m. 2.30 Mustered per divisions 2.45 Manned the boats and do. sent on shore for interment of the remains of Captain Eden. Ferried men to same[?] - 40 in no. on the company leaving the ship Sunset The funeral party returned, up boats |
| 19 Feb | Tue | From Mazatlan, to San Blas |
| 21 Feb | Thu | At single anchor in San Blas |
| 26 Feb | Tue | From San Blas, to Manzanillo |
| 27 Feb | Wed | 19.33 °N 105.44 °W |
| 28 Feb | Thu | Working up for Manzanillo Bay |
| 1 Mar | Fri | From Manzanillo, to Valparaiso |
| 2 Mar | Sat | 16.51 °N 106.52 °W |
| 11 Mar | Mon | 2.25 °N 110.41 °W |
| 19 Mar | Tue | 11.33 °S 117.15 °W |
| 7 Apr | Sun | 35.04 °S 102.47 °W |
| 16 Apr | Tue | 34.33 °S 81.42 °W |
| 20 Apr | Sat | At anchor in Valparaiso Bay |
| 2 May | Tue | From Valparaiso, to Rio Janeiro |
| 8 May | Wed | 40.27 °S 83.32 °W |
| 13 May | Mon | 50.42 °S 82.57 °W |
| 14 May | Tue | 54.01 °S 80.39 °W |
| 15 May | Wed | 56.37 °S 77.07 °W |
| 17 May | Fri | 56.35 °S 64.45 °W |
| 22 May | Wed | 50.46 °S 51.18 °W |
| 30 May | Thu | 33.07 °S 39.44 °W |
| 7 Jun | Fri | At single anchor, Rio Janeiro |
| 9 Jun | Sun | From Rio, to England |
| 19 Jun | Wed | 1.05 °S 29.07 °W |
| 27 Jun | Thu | 20.20 °N 38.00 °W |
| 3 Jul | Wed | 33.52 °N 38.06 °W |
| 11 Jul | Thu | 48.27 °N 16.46 °W |
| 21 Jul | Sun | Lashed alongside the dockyard, Portsmouth |
| 26 Jul | Fri | P.M. 2: Admiral Superintendent came onboard with pay clerks, and paid wages due to ships company. Sunset: Hauled the pennant down. |
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