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NARCISSUS
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Built in 1801, Deptford.
Hulk in 1823. |
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- Her rudder was arranged to slide up if it was in danger of being knocked off.
- 1801 Capt. Percy FRASER (from NYMPHE).
NARCISSUS was driven ashore on the coast of Holland and would have been wrecked but for the timely assistance she received from the JALOUSE sloop. - 1802 Capt. Ross DONNELLY.
During the peace of Amiens NARCISSUS was stationed in the Mediterranean visiting the Barbary States, Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, the south of France, Greece and Alexandria. - 1804 With NELSON's fleet blockading Toulon.
On the night of 10 July the boats of NARCISSUS, SEAHORSE and MAIDSTONE commanded by Lieut. Hyde PARKER, J. R. LUMLEY and OGLE MOORE, the whole under Mr John THOMPSON, first lieutenant of NARCISUS, attacked a dozen enemy vessels at La Vandour in Hieres Bay.
Under incessant fire of grape shot and musketry they boarded and fired eleven of them brought one out.
The total losses were 4 killed and 23 wounded.
NARCISSUS lost Midshipman Thomas Owen ROCHE and able seaman William SLANWOOD killed and Midshipman Thomas William Bedingfield, seven seamen and one marine wounded. - In 1805 NARCISSUS was attached to a secret expedition sent against the Cape of Good Hope.
While sailing there in advance of Sir Home POPHAM's fleet, she learnt from the Guineaman COLUMBUS on 29 October that French privateers had captured the English merchant ship HORATIO NELSON with a cargo of rum tobacco and slaves.
Later in the morning the privateer's schooner and brig and the HORATIO NELSON were seen bent on capturing the COLUMBUS and NARCISSUS, which was now disguised.
When they approached within pistol shot the privateers opened fire assisted by the prize which mounted twenty 9-pounders and two 12-pounders.
NARCISSUS and COLUMBUS replied and recaptured the HORATIO NELSON.
Capt. DONNELLY handed her over to Mr Callow, master of the COLUMBUS, to take her into Cape Massarida were her late master and part of her crew were.
The schooner escaped but most of her crew were on board the HORATIO NELSON which had been fitted out for cruising.
The brig which was captured was the PRUDENT of four 12-pounders, eight 6-pounders and 70 men. - A ship carrying the ordnance and stores of the ATALANTE frigate, which had been wrecked in Table Bay earlier in December 1805, was driven ashore on the 24th.
Her three masts and bowsprit went overboard and it seemed probable that the greater part of her crew would be lost in the surf. She carried thirty-two 32-pounders and 250 men and was bound for Mauritius where her cargo was needed to fit out other ships.
This information was obtained from a Dutch sloop which was captured while taking naval stores from Cape Town to a line-of-battle ship in Simon's Bay. - After the reduction of the Dutch colony in South Africa the fleet sailed for St. Helena and then, on 2 May 1806, for Rio.
Because the passage seemed to be taking an unexpectedly long time, NARCISSUS was sent on ahead on 27 May carrying Sir Home POPHAM and Capt. Kennet of the Royal Engineers.
The fleet made Cape St. Mary on 8 June but, because of fogs and baffling winds in the River Plate, it was six days before they met up with NARCISSUS which was in company with the transport OCEAN, missing since the fleet had left South Africa. - The troops, marines and parties of seamen were removed from the line-of-battle ships into the transports and NARCISSUS on 16 June but more fogs and contrary winds delayed their arrival off Buenos Ayres until the 24th. although the distance was only 90 miles.
Sir Home POPHAM took the shipping in close on the 25th. and the troops were landed about 8 miles from Point Quilmes at a place recommended by an English pilot taken out of a Portuguese vessel.
Major General Beresford, in command, found the enemy, about 2,000 cavalry and eight field pieces, drawn up along a hill.
He advanced towards them across boggy ground and forced them to retreat and abandon their guns but had to leave his own in the swamp.
Capt. DONNELLY, who had come ashore on his own initiative, organised their extrication. - In spite of delays due to the destruction of a bridge over the Rio Chuelo the force reached Buenos Ayres and the city's Governor surrendered on 2 July.
- NARCISSUS brought home from Buenos Ayres 1,086,208 dollars in specie, gold bar and silver ingots, being part of the prize handed over at the surrender.
The dispatches from Major General Beresford arrived in London on 13 September.
When she paid off at the end of the month Capt. DONNELLY removed into ARDENT. - 1807 Capt. Charles MALCOLM.
On 18 August 1807, about 180 miles N. N.W.
of Finisterre, NARCISSUS captured the Spanish schooner CANTELA carrying six guns and 29 men. She was commanded by Lieut. Don Joseph de Toledo and was bound from Rivadeo to South America with dispatches which were thrown overboard together with her guns and a boat during a ten hour chase.
The prize was brought in a squadron bound for England and Capt. MALCOLM's letter delivered to Lord GARDNER by the ROSE sloop. - In October NARCISSUS was at Oporto when, on the 1st., gunfire was heard from the south-west. She slipped and made sail in that direction and half and hour later saw the FERVENT gunbrig in chase of three row-boats flying Spanish colours.
Three hours later NARCISSUS came up with them about 12 miles to south of Oporto as the boats anchored close inshore behind the surf.
Capt. MALCOLM sent in his large cutter to attack them supported by FERVENT who could go within musket shot.
The boats were run ashore and became total losses while the 90 men in them escaped. - In April 1809 NARCISSUS took part in the reduction of the Saints near Guadeloupe where three French sail-of-the-line and two frigates from L'Orient had been blockaded by Rear Ad. COCHRANE.
On the 14th. a corps of between two and three thousand men under Major-General Maitland was landed by ACASTA, GLOIRE, NARCISSUS, CIRCE and INTREPID in Anse Bois Joly while a cannonade from the Islet of Cabrit fired over a ridge among the shipping.
After three days fighting the forts were reduced and the enemy troops taken as prisoners of war. - 1809 Capt. Hon. Frederick William AYLMER, 07/1809, Channel.
On 19 January he captured the French privateer DUGUAY TROUIN of 14 guns which were thrown overboard during the chase, and on the 14th. another privateer, the AIMABLE JOSEPHINE, of 14 guns and 105 men.
A brig taken by the former was recaptured. - At the beginning of July a combined operation with the Spanish General Porlier and 500 of his soldiers was undertaken along the coast of Cantabria and Biscay to force the French to divert troops from the interior.
On the morning of the 5th. a battalion of seamen and marines under Capt. AYLMER landed with the Spanish force from NARCISSUS on the beach to the west of Santona.
They entered the town without loss, Lieut. Desbrisay with the marines of AMAZON and the Spanish skirmishers killing two of the French rear-guard, wounding more and taking some prisoners.
While the Spaniards reconnoitred towards Santander, Lieut. PEARSON of ARETHUSA destroyed the guns in the fort.
To defend the town the boats' carronades were placed on a hill which commanded the isthmus and the men were posted along the hedges and vineyards in front, Spaniards on the right and English with the skirmishers left and centre.
At about 11 o'clock on the morning of the 7th. the outposts under Lieut. Fennel of ARETHUSA retired in good order before three French columns.
The main attack was on the right but, after a few shots from the battery and fire from the Spanish sharpshooters harassing the rear of the column which killed and wounded several, the French faced about and retired.
In the three days the French, numbering between 700 and 800 men, lost about 150 killed, wounded and prisoner.
The allies retired on the 8th. after destroying all the 26 guns in Santona and Laredo. - 1812 Capt. John Richard LUMLEY, Spithead for the West Indies.
0ff the Island of Navassa, N. W. of Jamaica, on 24 November, her boats under Lieut. John CRIRIE captured the American privateer JOSEPH AND MARY after a chase of three hours.
The privateer was armed with four guns and carried 73 men and their fire killed one man and wounded another in the approaching boats.
The enemy surrendered at the moment of boarding after they had three men wounded. - After a chase lasting fifteen hours the American letter of marque SHEPHERD, Mr Robert Hart, was captured off Cape St. Blare on 4 January 1813.
Two of her four guns were thrown overboard as she tried to escape.
The US
brig of war VIPER, Lieut. Henley, was captured on 17 January. She mounted 12 guns and had a crew of 93 men and had been cruising off the Havana for seven weeks without making any captures.
On the morning of 29 March off Cape Henry Ad. WARREN ordered NARCISSUS to investigate a strange sail to the south-east.
Capt. LUMLEY lost no time in weighing and making all sail after her and, at half past three came under fire from the stern-chasers of a brig flying American colours.
When she struck she proved to be the privateer REVENGE, Mr Woodbury Langdon, of Norfolk, Va.
Although pierced for 20 guns she only had ten 12-pounder carronades and two long nines mounted. - The boats of NARCISSUS under Lieut. CRIRIE and Lieut. Savage RM
entered the York River in the Chesapeake on 17 June and brought out the US
revenue schooner SURVEYOR armed with six guns and with 25 men on board, five of whom were wounded.
Three men in the boats were killed and six wounded including CRIRIE and Savage. - 1815 Capt. Alexander GORDON, Bermuda and Halifax. NARSISSUS returned home in March 1815.
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