► William Loney R.N. ► Documents ► Ships' logs Rolla ◄► Pantaloon
Extracts from the log of HMS Penelope for the period 21 February - 29 July 1845.
Source: ADM 53/1061, 28 June 1843 - 19 May 1846.Gallinas - Accra - Lagos -Accra - Ascension - St Helena - Ascension - Gallinas - Sierra Leone - Cape Verde Islands - Sierra Leone - Ascension
The paddle steamer Penelope was flagship of Willam Jones, Commodore of the West African Squadron from April 1844 to April(?) 1846. By the end of that period the number of ships in the Squadron had risen to about 25, divided over a number of divisions.
The primary task of the flagship was to coordinate the various cruisers on the coast, and to keep them supplied. The links in the date column are to Reports of Proceedings from Commodore Jones to the Second (William Alexander Baillie Hamilton) or First (Rt. Hon. Henry Thomas Lowry Corry) Secretaries of the Admiralty.
Here is a list of the ships principal commissioned officers during this period (from the Navy List; not yet checked with the ship's muster book for exact dates). Although William Loney was carried on the books (as "Additional" Assistant Surgeon) from 22 February 1845, he only reached her (at Sierra Leone) on 24 May. 22 February was the date he joined Rolla in England, where that vessel was commissioning to join the squadron. Dr Loney's role was to replace an incapacitated colleague on one of the cruisers on the coast (which, after two months, he did).
| 1845 | ||
| 21 Feb | Fri | At anchor off Seabar [or Shebar, central Sierra Leone, map ]: Arrived HMSV [Her Majesty's Steam Vessel] Albert |
| 22 Feb | Sat | Steamed up, weighed and proceeded with two boilers |
| 23 Feb | Sun | a.m. 7:30 The Commodore left the ship with the two cutters to procede up the Gallinas for the purpose of holding a conference with the native chiefs p.m. 6 The commodore and boats returned [Report to Lt.-Governor of Sierra Leone] |
| 3 Mar | Mon | Proceded SSE 6.28 °N, 11.10 °W |
| 8 Mar | Sat | Came to off Accra Weighed |
| 13 Mar | Thu | Running for Princes Island [modern Príncipe, north of São Tomé] Stopped and came to in West Bay |
| 15 Mar | Sat | Weighed |
| 16 Mar | Sun | Stopped and came to in Clarence Cove [a popular watering place on the island of Fernando Po, modern Bioko Island, part of Equatorial Guinea] |
| 19 Mar | Wed | Weighed |
| 22 Mar | Sat | a.m. Anchored off Lagos 12 Proceeded full speed in chase of stranger p.m. Observed chase anchor off Lagos 3:40 Fired a gun, chase shewed American colours |
| 24 Mar | Mon | Came too off Accra |
| 25 Mar | Tue | Received 20 oxen with fodder of 300 pounds of yassis[yams?] |
| 2 Apr | Wed | Anchored [at Ascension] |
| 6 Apr | Sun | Weighed |
| 10 Apr | Thu | Came to off Jamestown [St Helena] |
| 17 Apr | Thu | Weighed |
| 18 Apr | Fri | 15.0 °S, 7.5 °W |
| 22 Apr | Tue | Came to in Georges Bay [i.e. off Georgetown, Ascension, and not Fernando Po] |
| 7 May | Wed | Weighed |
| 9 May | Fri | 4.45 °S, 14.07 °W |
| 15 May | Thu | At anchor off Gallinas |
| 17 May | Sat | Weighed |
| 18 May | Sun | Anchored as Sierra Leone |
| 23 May | Fri | Her Majesty's brig Rolla [in which William Loney had come out from England to join Penelope] made her number |
| 24 May | Sat | Sailed H.M. Brig Rolla |
| 28 May | Wed | Weighed for Boa Vista |
| 30 May | Fri | 10.30 °N, 16.44 °W |
| 1 June | Sun | 14.24 °N, 19.36 °W |
| 2 June | Mon | Anchored in Boa Vista roads [Cape Verde Islands] |
| 10 June | Tue | Weighed |
| 12 June | Thu | At anchor, Porto Grande, St Vincent [Cape Verde Islands] |
| 13 June | Fri | Weighed |
| 15 June | Sun | At Anchor, Porto Praya [modern Praia, São Tiago, Cape Verde islands] |
| 17 June | Tue | Weighed |
| 18 June | Wed | At anchor, Boa Vista |
| 19 June | Thu | Weighed |
| 24 June | Tue | At Anchor, Sierra Leone |
| 2 July | Wed | Weighed |
| 3 July | Thu | 7.29 °N, 13.17 °W |
| 4 July | Fri | At anchor, off Gallinas |
| 5 July | Sat | Weighed |
| 11 July | Fri | 2.50 °N, 8.18 °W |
| 14 July | Mon | Ascension: anchored |
| 28 July | Fri | Pantaloon arrived [into which William Loney was transferred] |
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