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DIANA
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(10) |
Cutter
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Purchased in 1807.
Condemned in 1810. |
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- Armed with 12-pounder carronades.
- 1807 Lieut. William KEMPTHORNE, East Indies.
He was first lieutenant of CORNWALLIS when appointed to DIANA. - She sailed from Bombay on her first cruise in May 1807 with only 26 officers and men.
On 8 August Lieut. KEMPTHORNE led an attack on the American pirate schooner TOPAZE near Macao.
He was knocked overboard from his jolly boat, badly wounded in the head and back by boarding pikes, but resumed the attack when the cutter came up.
Several of the 29 men onboard the pirate were killed or wounded, she was later condemned as a prize.
DIANA had 3 wounded. - On 6 August 1808 he captured the Dutch national brig VLIEG, with six long 6-pounders, anchored near the fort of Serookie in Java. She had a number of brass guns for Sourabaya.
- At the end of 1808 DIANA, with a prize brig and the Hon.E. I.Co.
DISCOVERY under Capt. KEMPTHORNE's orders, sailed up the river to Canton and effectively blockaded the city until Rear Ad. DRURY called off the demonstration.
The two ships then sailed to Manilla in January 1809 to rescue the crew of the frigate GREYHOUND which had been wrecked in the Philippines on 4 October 1808 and were being released on parole.
While returning to India they fell in with two French frigates, CANONIERE and LAUREL, and were chased down to the Straits of Singapore.
DIANA escaped by throwing her guns overboard but DISCOVERY was taken and Capt. PACKENHAM of GREYHOUND and some of his officers and crew were taken into Batavia.
The captain was allowed to depart but the remainder were kept in intolerable conditions until September 1809. - On 10 September 1809 DIANA was standing into the Bay of Amarang in the north-east corner of the island of Celebes when she sighted the Dutch 14-gun-brig ZEPHYR anchored under a fort.
Under cover of darkness KEMPTHORNE sent in his boats but ZEPHYR had already sailed so, assuming that she had fled towards Manado some 40 miles away, he sent off in pursuit.
They following evening they came upon ZEPHYR becalmed and about to be reinforced by 5 gunboats which were sweeping towards her.
After an action lasting some 40 minutes the Dutchman was forced to strike with her 1st. Lieutenant and 4 others killed and 8 wounded.
DIANA took her prize in tow and dispersed the gunboats with a few shots having suffered no casualties herself.
Medals were awarded to the survivors in 1847. - A dangerous coral reef to the southward of the Natuna Is.
in the South China Sea was named by the captain after his ship. - After being condemned by survey DIANA was laid up during May 1810 at Rodriguez Is.
370 miles east of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
An erroneous report in Steel's List that she had been wrecked retarded Lieut. KEMPTHORNE's promotion until April 1811.
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