Medea, 1833
Type: 2nd class sloop ; Armament 4
Launched : 2 Sep 1833 ; Disposal date or year : 1867
BM: 835 tons ; Displacement: 1142 tons
Propulsion: Paddle
Machinery notes: 350
Notes:

Woolwich 27 Sep 1833 Fitting out.

Woolwich 9 Jan 1833 To be prepared for sea.

Portsmouth 9 Jul 1834 Arrived at Helvoetsluys last Sunday, returning to Woolwich today.

Portsmouth 23 Jul 1834 Arrived with seamen from the Asia, paid off at Chatham.

Portsmouth 26 Jul 1834 Sailed for Bilboa and Corunna.

Portsmouth 7 Aug 1834 Arrived from Bilboa and Corunna.

Portsmouth 20 Aug 1834 Taken out of the basin and is awaiting orders.

Portsmouth 4 Oct 1834 Arnved from the Eastward and sailed to the Westward.

Plymouth 5 Oct 1834 Arrived from the River and sailed to Falmouth.

31 Jan 1835 is reported to be at Malta.

Malta 9 Feb 1835 sailed with a squadron for the Vourla, where it arrived circa 15 Feb..

Malta 14 Oct 1835 arrived.

8 Dec 1835 reported to be escorting the King of Bavaria from Ancona to Athens.

Malta 5 Jun 1836 sailed for Corfu.

Corfu 21 Jun 1836 sailed for Patras.

Malta 26 May 1837 in Valetta harbour.

Malta 15 Jul 1837 arrived and sailed again..

Malta 6 Aug 1837 the Rapid, from Port Mahon, reports that the Medea was there when she sailed.

Malta 23 Aug 1837 reported to be in Barcelona Roads.

Spithead 30 Sep 1837 arrived from the west on Wednesday and sailed the following day for Sheerness.

5 May 1839 Halifax arrived from Bermuda.

10 Jul 1839 at Halifax.

20 Jul 1839 got on shore in the Gut Of Canso.

2 Aug 1839 at Halifax,

7 Aug 1840 Woolwich, was taken out of the basin at Woolwich yesterday, and proceeded down the river this morning to try her machinery.

16 Aug 1840 Commander Frederick Warden ; Lieutenant George G. Otway ; Acting Master George Wilson ; Purser J. Mountsteven ; Boatswain James Morris ; Acting Carpenter Henry Pellew, appointed to the Medea.

21 Aug 1840 Woolwich, appointed to the Medea : Mr. John Cousens, gunner; Messrs. Williams, Brunker, and M'Donough, engineers. Mr. Austen is from the Excellent, at Portsmouth, and will remain there to raise men for the Medea.

22 Aug 1840 Mate H. T. Austen, appointed to the Medea.

28 Aug 1840 Woolwich, appointed to the Medea, Lieutenant Gillmore Harvey (1828) to be First Lieutenant, Mr. Isaac Noet, surgeon, Mr. S. W. Webb, assistant-surgeon, Mr. Thomas Pidcock, clerk, and Mr. J. H. Stevens, mate.

28 Aug 1840 the Meteor arrived at Portsmouth, from the westward, with volunteers - some for the Vanguard ; she proceeded with the remainder to Woolwich, for the Medea.

19 Sep 1840 Mate G. F. Leigh, appointed to the Medea;

25 Sep 1840 Woolwich, was paid two months' wages in advance on Wednesday, and sailed on Thursday morning for Chatham to embark a detachment of the 33d Regiment for Gibraltar.

28 Sept 1840 Mr. William Key, to be second engineer to the Medea, vice Brunker, to the William and Mary.

2 Oct 1840 Woolwich, having embarked 110 officers and man of the 33d Regiment at Chatham, sails Saturday, and from Portsmouth on Tuesday, for Plymouth and Cork, where she will embark detachments of other regiments, and proceed with them to the Mediterranean.

3 Oct 1840 arrived Spithead on Sunday, en route for the Mediterranean, and after embarking a serjeant and 12 men of the Marine Artillery, proceeded on Tuesday, calling at Plymouth, Lisbon and Gibraltar on her way out.

1 Oct 1840 arrived in the Sound from Portsmouth on Wednesday.

9 Oct 1840 Woolwich, left Plymouth on Friday for the Mediterranean. She has a considerable number of men on board from the 33d and other regiments, and exchanged her marines for marine artillery previous to sailing from Portsmouth on Wednesday.

15 Oct 1840 arrived Gibraltar in 6 days from Plymouth, and left the following day for Malta, which she reached on the 18th.

19 Dec 1840 as a result of the late explosion of a shell on board of the Medea, arising from the examination of the cap, it was deemed advisable on Tuesday last, on board the Excellent, to examine the state of such shells as they had on board.

21 Nov 1840 a part of the squadron off Alexandria - see p. 322-> at at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

21 Nov 1840 a shell burst below and wounded several men.

Early Dec 1840, stood off the coast following receipt of a signal reporting Peace with Egypt : on the 2 Dec it came on to blow and the squadron experienced a heavy gale in which some vessels off the Syrian coast went ashore, the Zebra being lost in the bay of Khaifa and the Pique and Bellerophon being nearly lost.

17 Dec 1840 Marmorice Bay, arrived with the mail from Malta.

Aug - Nov 1840 Capture of Acre and operations on the coast of Syria. Turkish Medals awarded to the Officers and Men employed during the Campaign.

28 Jan 1841 Malta, the Medea is repairing her starboard paddle and will not be ready for sea for another week or so.

12 Feb 1841, at Malta.

6 Mar 1841, Lieutenant G. G Otway (of the Medea), having served his two years' sea time, promoted to the rank of Commander.

5 Mar 1841, Malta, undergoing repair in the dockyard.

15 Mar 1841, Malta, sailed for Marmorice, with despatches and letters for the fleet.

8 May 1841, Surgeon J. Salmon, appointed to the Medea.

25 Jun 1841, Malta, was reported to taking provisions to Alexandria, for the Gorgon, lying off that port.

7 Aug 1841, Mate F. H. Stevens (1830), Medea, promoted to Lieutenant ;

7 Sep 1841, at Alexandria.

16 Oct 1841,The Gorgon arrived at Alexandria, replacing the Medea.

24 Oct 1841, Malta, arrived from Alexandria.

18 Dec 1841, Malta, sailed for Athens with despatches.

1846 The Experimental Squadron Portsmouth, Thursday. April 23 Other vessels than those above enumerated are reported as likely to join the squadron - the Contest, new 12-gun brig, by White, builder of the Daring; the Recruit, iron 12 gun brig, building by Ditchburn and Mare; the Eurydice. 26, just paid off at this port, built on the design of Admiral Elliot; the Avenger, steam-frigate, of 1444 tons, and 650-horse power, by Symonds ; and the Medea, steam sloop, of 835 tons and 220-horse power, by Lang ; but we do not think they can be got ready, none of them being as yet in commission ; but should any of them hoist the pendant speedily, it is probable they may be ordered to join the squadron at sea.

Mid 1848 Singapore

2 Dec 1848 It is reported in Sydney that the Medea, Commander T. H. Mason, is under orders to proceed to New Zealand to succeed the Inflexible. The Medea is a second-class sloop of 835 tons, and 200 horse power; she was built in 1833 from the design of Mr. Oliver Lang, of the Woolwich Dockyard. She was at Singapore about four months since.

20 Dec 1848 East Indies.

Aug 1849 went up to Tien Pak where pirates who had attacked the vessel Kim Hok Tye, Capt. Taylor, and others, were hiding. Destroyed 5 junks, but fuel was running low and had to return to Hong Kong - see p. 641-2 www.naval-review.org/issues/1925-4.pdf.

28 Jul - Sep 1849 operations against Chinese pirates - see p. 354 at at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

3 - 6 Mar 1850 Hong Kong. With men from the Hastings destroyed a number of pirates vessels. See for newspaper report.

3 Mar 1851 Bounty monies due from the destruction of pirate vessels from 3-6 Mar 1850, now payable.

24 Apr 1851 Portsmouth. Taken into dock today.

1860 Portsmouth

17 Sept 1861 Portsmouth. Commissioned.

1864 North America and West Indies Station. Report of fevers onboard. Number of Cases of Disease and Injury.

From the Friend of China, March 6.

We have been favoured by art eye-witness with the following account of the Medea's action with pirates. A smart and well-executed expedition ; the time occupied from the first order to get up steam until anchor was dropped on returning to Hongkong being twenty-eight hours.

News having been received here from the Mandarin at Cowloon that seventeen pirate junks, supposed to be under the command of Tsui-Apoo, were lying in a bay about fifty miles off, the Medea was ordered to get under weigh, which we did, leaving this at half-past one o'clock for Cowloon, taking with us Mr. Caldwell, with the pinnace and forty-nine men from the Hastings, viz.: twenty-four sailors under command of Lieutenant Webber, one midshipman, one naval cadet, one assistant surgeon, and twenty-five marines under Lieutenant Holland, where we waited a short time to take a Mandarin on board. Commander Lockyer being very anxious if possible to finish the business that night, cracked on all steam, and in three hours and forty minutes, viz., at fifteen minutes past five o'clock, we found ourselves in presence of thirteen pirate junks, four of which appeared to be upward of 250 tons, mounting ten guns and upwards.

The piratical fleet were lying in a small bay in the island of Kuto, and it was evident they had perceived our approach by our smoke over the land, as on rounding the point we found twelve of the pirates sweeping in, while one remained at anchor. On rounding the point we were all ready for action, bulwarks down and the men at their guns. We immediately opened fire, when the pirates without offering any resistance commenced jumping over board, we continued our fire and succeeded in killing about 150. Night was falling, and Mr. Brodie, the master, was sent to take possession of the junks in shore, the men not having vacated all the junks, some resistance was offered, when Commander Lockyer in his gig with commander Wainwright, a volunteer, accompanied by Lieutenant Webber in the Hasting's pinnace, with some marines under Lieutenant Holland, R.M., and Lieutenant Gibbons in our cutter, started to render assistance ; the pirates were soon driven on shore with considerable loss, and five prisoners were taken, the night coming down very dark, with a heavy fall of rain, prevented the crews landing to scour the island, the junks however were brought out to the steamer, which had been in considerable danger from one of the junks that caught fire having drifted down on her, however by the exertions of the first Lieutenant, Mr. Wood, the steamer was kept clear. In the morning eight of our captures were burned, four were given up to the Mandarin, who restored them to their owners ; they had only been recently captured and fitted out for piracy, the proprietors were in the village and were identified by the Mandarin.

While this was going or, a party of marines and blue jackets were sent on shore in command of Mr. Gibbons and Mr. Holland, accompanied by Commander Wainwright, the Mandarin, and Mr. Caldwell, to scour the island ; the villagers turned out to assist as bearers, but the party only picked up fifteen, the rest of the pirates having seized the fishing boats on the island and made for the mainland during the night. We were informed by the Mandarin that a party of soldiers had been despatched the day before overland from Cowloon ; however, not much exertion was to be expected from them, especially if leading into danger, so we did not see them.

Having concluded the service, we returned to Hongkong where we anchored at 4h. 10m.

The nine small junks succeeded in throwing their guns overboard, and our account had therefore to be taken from the gun carriages. Of the twenty prisoners captured, two died of their wounds during the night.

From the rapidity with which we were hurried off we found ourselves only able to muster a poor dinner the first day ; this morning, however, a deputation of the villagers waited upon the captain with the acceptable present of a couple of bullocks, a lot of fowls, and a supply of fruits, as an acknowledgement of our services in ridding them of their unwelcome visitors. One fisherman was unfortunately killed.

To the account of the Medea's cruize, which appeared in last week's issue, a postscript was appended, mentioning the seizure of the boats which had been despatched by the pirates from Cat-6 with the cargoes of the Chinchew traders. The information reached us as the paper was going to press, so that we were unable to give full particulars, which, however, we shall now endeavour to supply. While Mr. Caldwell was at Cowloong (sic), handing over the Medea's prisoners, he was told by the Mandarin that the boats in question were then in Hongkong disposing of their cargoes in barter for arms and ammunition, and he was requested to endeavour to capture them, which he promised to do. On his way back to Hongkong, he observed two fishing boats near the village of Shum-shui-poo, (Little Cowloong,) and it being very unusual for such vessels to anchor there, he determined to examine them, and on pulling a little closer, found a harbour-boat alongside. Bearing in mind the description of the pirates given by the mandarin, and it being manifest that these junks had not lately been engaged in fishing, he was convinced of their identity with the boats in question ; and accordingly with his four European constables, took advantage of the crews being below in consequence of the rain, and boarded them. On opening one of the hatches, he found a portion of the cargo with which the Chinese Commandant had said the pirates were loaded ; and he therefore secured the crews, seventeen in number, and brought them to Hongkong. Unfortunately one of the prisoners, who was recognised by Mr. Caldwell as having been lately before the Supreme Court on a charge of piracy, but got off through some defect in the evidence, made his escape while being brought on shore ; but the others with the two boats were delivered over to the Commandant at Cowloong. who made a formal demand for them. Friend of China, March 14, [1850].