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PENGUIN
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(16) |
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Taken in 1795, ex COMET.
Sold in 1809. |
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- 1799 B. R. LITTLEHALES, Ireland.
- 1800 Ditto, cruising in Channel Robert MANSEL.
On 18 February 1801 MANSEL, whose post commission was dated four days earlier, fought an action with a French corvette of 24 guns and two merchantmen of 16 guns each, in the South Atlantic.
Capt. MANSEL was on passage to the Cape of Good Hope with dispatches for Sir Roger CURTIS when the enemy squadron attacked.
The three enemy vessels formed line of battle and PENGUIN exchanged broadsides with them at musket-shot range for two hours when Capt. MANSEL got the weather gage of the sternmost ship and cut her off whereupon she hailed for quarter.
The other two bore down to her assistance and the fight continued for another hour in the dusk until PENGUIN lost her topmast.
This, together with her damaged rigging and her sails cut and burning, made the brig ungovernable.
Capt. MANSELL took the hand of the man next to him and the whole crew followed his example, showing their resolve not to strike.
Fortunately the enemy had fired mainly at the rigging with round, grape and iron bars up to a foot long so PENGUIN had no one killed and only a few wounded.
At nightfall the French had had enough and took advantage of the darkness to make off, leaving PENGUIN to repair her rigging. - 1801 Duncome BOUVERIE, 02/1801 to 04/1802.
- 1803 James M'FARLAND.
On 22 April 1803 PENGUIN returned to Portsmouth from the Cape of Good Hope bringing news that the Cape had been evacuated and handed over to the Dutch. - 1804 G. MORRIS, 09/1803.
On 17 March 1804 MORRIS chased a French privateer schooner RENOMMEE on to the bar at Senegal.
He hoped that the surf would soon destroy her but on the morning of the 24th. two schooners came down the river and tried to pull her off so PENGUIN stood in as close to the shore as she could to drive them off.
Lieuts. WILLIAMS and RAYLEY volunteered their services and went in at night with the jolly boat and although the two enemy schooners were within two cables they were able to set RENOMMEE on fire and by the morning she was destroyed. She had been commanded by a Citizen Renaud and manned by 87 men. - 1807 Chatham.
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