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| Name | Satellite (1855) | Explanation | |
| Type | Corvette | ||
| Launched | 26 September 1855 | ||
| Hull | Wooden | Length | 200 feet |
| Propulsion | Screw | ||
| Builders measure | 1462 tons | ||
| Displacement | 2189 tons | ||
| Guns | 21 | ||
| Fate | 1879 | Last in commission | 1870 |
| Class | Class (as screw) | Pearl | |
| Ships book | ADM 135/415 | ||
| Career | |||
| Date | Event | ||
| 26 September 1855 | Launched at Devonport Dockyard. | ||
| 30 September 1856 - 26 January 1861 | Commanded (from commissioning at Plymouth until paying off at Plymouth) by Captain James Charles Prevost, Pacific | ||
| 27 November 1861 - 5 May 1862 | Commanded by Captain John Ormsby Johnson, south east coast of America (until invalided) | ||
| 5 May 1862 - 22 September 1865 | Commanded (until paying off at Plymouth) by Captain Stephen Smith Lowther Crofton, south east coast of America | ||
| 27 October 1866 - 14 November 1866 | Commanded (from commissioning at Plymouth) by Captain Richard Purvis, Plymouth | ||
| 14 November 1866 - 13 September 1868 | Commanded by Captain Joseph Edye, China (until he died) | ||
| 11 November 1868 - 1 December 1870 | Commanded (until paying off at Plymouth) by Captain William Henry Edye, China, then coming home with the 1869 Flying Squadron | ||
| 25 December 1879 | Breaking up at Devonport completed. | ||
| 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. | ||
| Th 23 April 1868 | Her Majesty's ship Wasp, Capt. Norman B. Bedingfield, from the East India station, was paid off at Portsmouth yesterday. This ship was fitted out at Portsmouth in November, 1863, and has therefore been nearly four years and a half in commission, during which time she has traversed 102,000 miles, and performed various important services. Appointed to the East Indian station, she has been specially employed in the suppression of the slave trade on the East Coast of Africa, and has been instrumental in effecting the liberation of some 500 slaves, taken from dhows intercepted by the ship and her boats. The Arab crews of these vessels seldom offered any resistance, on one occasion, however, there was a most determined hand-to-hand encounter in the middle of the night between the ship's boats and a dhow. The English numbered four officers and 20 men, against 76 Arabs. They succeeded in making the capture, though not before one man had been killed and three officers and 11 men wounded. For their services on this occasion the two lieutenants in charge of the boats were promoted to the rank of commander. The prize money resulting from the various captures, after paying all expenses, left about 10,500l. To be distributed among the officers and crew, and it is satisfactory to know that the whole of this was paid over before the ship's company separated yesterday. Another piece of good fortune - which befell them was the salvage of a valuable cargo of ivory from the merchant ship Newah, wrecked on Latham Island, off the coast of Africa. The property saved amounting in value to 19.000l. Great was their disappointment when they learnt that the authorities at home would only allow a claim for 2,500l to be preferred. In August of last year the Wasp and the Satellite, under the command of Capt. Bedingfield, of the Wasp, were sent to punish the natives of the Nicobar Islands for the murder of the shipwrecked crews of several merchant ships. On their return from this expedition the Wasp quelled a riot among the Chinese in Penang. When the report of Dr. Livingstone's murder came in January, 1867, the Wasp took Dr. Kirk and the political agent at Zanzibar to Quiloa (the great inland slave mart) to endeavour to ascertain its truth, but, as is well known, without success. Of the original complement of 175 men who went out in the ship only seven officers and 22 men have returned in her, many having died or been invalided home, and many transferred to other ships. The ship has been under the command of three separate captains and three first-lieutenants during the commission, Capt. Bedingfield, her last commander, having been appointed in December, 1865. She has been throughout - in terms which both nautical and unnautical men well understand - a "happy ship," more especially under Capt. Bedingfield's command. | ||
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