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| Name | Charybdis (1859) | Explanation | |
| Type | Corvette | ||
| Launched | 1 June 1859 | ||
| Hull | Wooden | Length | 200 feet |
| Propulsion | Screw | ||
| Builders measure | 1506 tons | ||
| Displacement | 2187 tons | ||
| Guns | 21 | ||
| Fate | 1884 | Last in commission | 1880 |
| Class | Class (as screw) | Pearl | |
| Ships book | |||
| Career | |||
| Date | Event | ||
| 1 June 1859 | Launched at Chatham Dockyard. | ||
| 2 November 1860 - 8 June 1863 | Commanded (from commissioning at Sheerness) by Captain George Disney Keane, East Indies, then Pacific | ||
| 8 June 1863 - 14 June 1865 | Commanded (until paying off at Sheerness) by Captain Edward Winterton Turnour, Pacific | ||
| 8 January 1867 - 30 August 1871 | Commanded (from commissioning at Sheerness until paying off at Sheerness) by Captain Algernon McLennan Lyons, Australia and the Pacific (and 28 May -14 August from Esquimalt to Valparaiso with the 1969-70 Flying squadron | ||
| 24 September 1873 | Commanded (from commissioning at Sheerness) by Captain Thomas Edward Smith, China | ||
| 9 February 1877 - 9 November 1880 | Commanded by Captain Charles Frederick Hotham, China | ||
| 1881 | Lent to Canadian government as a training ship when the Governor General stated in a dispatch to the Colonial Secretary that his government 'would not be averse to instituting a ship for training purposes if the Imperial Government would provide the ship'. Capt. Peter Astle Scott RN, retired, who had made a second career in the Canadian Department of Marine and Fisheries, was sent to England to bring the ship to Canada, which was only possible after repairs had been carried out (at the expense of the Canadian government). As a Dominion government ship under the commander of the fishery fleet, she wore the blue ensign of Canada and the long blue commission pendant. | ||
| August 1882 | Found unsuitable for training because of costs and crew size, and returned to the RN after being towed to Halifax. | ||
| 1884 | Sold at Halifax, Canada. | ||
| Extracts from the Times newspaper | |||
| Date | Extract | ||
| Sa 12 November 1864 | The following is the list of the vessels of the Royal navy which will be armed, and are now being armed, with the new description of 300-pounder and other guns in course of issue. The figures after each vessel specify the number of guns of the description mentioned she will carry. To mount the 12-ton 300-pounders:- Bellerophon, 10; Royal Sovereign, 5; Minotaur, 4; Scorpion, 4; Wiveren, 4; Prince Albert, 4; Agincourt, 4; and Northumberland, 4. To be armed with the 6½-ton guns:- The Achilles, 20; Black Prince, 20; Warrior, 20; Lord Warden, 20; Lord Clyde, 20; Royal Oak, 20; Prince Consort, 20; Royal Alfred, 20; Caledonia, 20; Ocean, 20; Minotaur, 18 ; Agincourt, 18; Valiant, 16; Zealous, 16; Hector, 16; Defence, 10; Resistance, 10; Endymion, 6; Mersey, 4; Orlando, 4, Pallas, 4; Favourite, 4; Research, 4; Enterprise, 4; Amazon, 2; Viper, 2; and Vixen, 2. To mount the 64-pounder muzzle-loader:- The Bristol, 12; Melpomene, 12; Liverpool, 12; Severn, 12; Arethusa, 12; Phoebe, 12;. Shannon, 12; Octavia, 12; Constance, 12; Sutlej, 12; Undaunted, 12; Impérieuse, 12; Aurora, 12; Leander, 12; Bacchante, 12; Emerald, 12; Phaeton, 12: Narcissus, 12; Forte, 12; Euryalus, 12; Topaz, 12; Newcastle, 12; Liffey, 12; Immortalité, 12; Glasgow, 12; Clio, 8, North Star, 8 [laid down 1860, cancelled 1865]; Racoon, 8; Challenge[r], 8; and Menai, 8 [laid down 1860, cancelled 1864]. The following will be supplied with the 64-pounder breech-loaders:- The Scout, 8; Rattlesnake, 8; Cadmus, 8; Scylla, 8; Barossa, 8; Jason, 8; Charybdis, 8; Wolverine, 8; Pylades, 8; Orestes, 8; Pearl, 8; Pelorus, 8; Satellite, 8; Acheron, 4 [laid down 1861, cancelled 1863]; Shearwater, 4; Valorous, 4; Furious, 4; Bittern, 4 [laid down 1861, cancelled 1863]; Magicienne, 4; and Columbine, 4. A supply of the 6½-ton smooth-bore 100-pounder wrought iron guns has already been received at Chatham, and it is understood that the first supply of the 300-pounder rifled 12-ton Armstrong gun may shortly be expected at the Ordnance wharf. | ||
| (various) | this gets replaced | ||
| Tu 25 July 1871 | The following vessels of war are now on their passage home for the purpose of being put out of commission and their crew paid off: - The Forte, 24, 2,364 tons, 400-horse power, Capt. H. Fairfax, flagship of Rear-Admiral J.H. Cockburn, commanding the East India squadron, and the Nymph, 4, 1,084 tons, 300-horse power, Commander R. Adams, from the East Indies; the Charybdis, 17, 1,506 tons, 400-horse power, Capt. A.M'L. Lyons, from the Pacific; the Virago, 6, 1,053 tons, 200-horse power, paddlewheel steamer, Commander H.S. Sandys, from Australia; the | ||
| Tu 3 October 1876 | 12 August 1876 Her Majesty's ship Topaze left Wosung this morning for the North with stores for the Detached Squadron, under the command of Rear-Admiral Lambert, consisting of Her Majesty's ship Narcissus (flag), Newcastle, and Immortalité, at this date about 140 miles from Chefoo, where they proceeded from Nagasaki on the 2d August. The unsettled state of affairs in China has prolonged the stay of the Detached Squadron, and it is not expected they will move south before the end of September or beginning of October. The Audacious, flagship of Vice-Admiral Ryder, Commander-in-Chief of the China Station, it at Chefoo. The despatch boat Vigilant, with Sir Thomas Wade, the British Minister at Pekin, and Vice-Admiral Ryder, left here on the 8th for Chefoo, where it is expected there will be an interview with Li Hung Ching, Commander-in-Chief of the Pechili Provinces. The Thistle is at Ohefoo, and the Mosquito has left here for Chefoo to act as despatch vessel between the Commander-in-Chief and the Detached Squadron. The Charybdis is senior officer's ship here. | ||
| Th 18 January 1877 | Our Hongkong Correspondent writes under date the 14th of December last:— "Her Majesty's ships of war in harbour are the Audacious (flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Ryder), Fly, Growler, Nassau, Ringdove and Vigilant. The orders for the Ringdove to leave here on the 16th of December for England have been countermanded. She will now probably be paid off here, thoroughly repaired by the Naval-yard authorities and re-commissioned with the crew of the Lapwing, her present officers and crew returning to England in the troopship Himalaya. By last advances of the 30th of November, the Charybdis, Frolic, and Mosquito remained by the Lapwing at Chan-shan-tan Island. The weather continued fine, but the chances of getting her afloat were very much against her. The Curlew at Tien-tsin, remains there for the winter. The Growler, after a thorough repair to het boilers, has completed her stores, and proceeds to Amoy in the place of the Fly, ordered to remain in Hongkong. | ||
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