HMS Pelorus (1808)

HMS "Pelorus" was a 385 ton, 18-gun "Cruizer" class brig-sloop of the Royal Navy,

Construction

She was built in Itchenor, England and launched on 25 June 1808.

Career

Napoleonic Wars

She took part in the Napoleonic Wars, including enforcing the blockade ship of Guadaloupe. On 16 October 1809 "Pelorus" and "Hazard" discovered a privateer schooner moored under the St Mary battery. "Pelorus" destroyed the battery with gunfire while boats from both ships boarded the privateer. Unable to move the prize, they instead blew her up.

Anti-slavery

In the early 1830s, when William Wilberforce's anti-slavery act went into effect, HMS "Pelorus" became an anti-slaver ship, tasked with patrolling the west coast of Africa. Between 1825 and 1830 she had a third mast,cite web|url=http://hmspelorus.com/|title=HMS Pelorus website|accessdate=2008-09-08] changing her from a brig-sloop to a ship-sloop.

urvey

In 1837 the ship was tasked to survey areas of southern Australia, New Zealand and the island of Tasmania. The Pelorus River and Pelorus Sound of New Zealand were both named in honour of the ship's survey of the region.

Wrecked in New South Wales

On 25 November 1839, while anchored off of Port Essington, Australia the ship was struck by a hurricane and was wrecked with the loss of 12 crew. The remainder were rescued by HMS "Britomart". Owen Stanley painted several pictures of the "Pelorus" lying on her side on a beach after the wreck.

Opium War

After repairs, the "Pelorus" was dispatched from Sydney in 1840 with HMS "Herald" to take part in the first Opium War.

Disposal and Final Loss

In 1842 the ship was sold out of the Royal Navy in Singapore, and was sunk when she struck a shoal on 25 December 1844 off the coast of Borneo in the South China Sea.

Commanding Officers

References

External links

* [http://hmspelorus.com/ HMS "Pelorus"]