Seagull, 1831
Type: Schooner ; Armament 6
Launched : 21 Nov 1831 ; Disposal date or year : 1852
BM: 279 tons
Notes:

Jul 1830 Chatham, building

Falmouth 9 May 1835 arrived with mails from Mexico, have sailed from Belize on 4 Mar, Tampico (17th), Vera Cruz (28th), and Havannah (12 Apr).

Falmouth 28 Mar 1836 is reported to have arrived from the Islands with mail.

30 Jul 1837 experienced a hurricane off the Bahama bank.

4 Mar 1841 Falmouth, arrived from Rio de Janeiro (13 Jan).

5 Jul 1841, Falmouth, arrived from St Thomas's (2 Jun) ; Porto Rico (3 Jun) ; Cape Henry (7 Jun).

19 Aug 1845, anchored in Rio harbour with the Grecian, Crescent, Penguin, and Spy ; survey vessels Herald and Pandora ; US vessels Raritan, and Bainbridge ; and Brazilian frigate Isabella, when the survey vessels Herald and Pandora arrived.

20 Dec 1848 Falmouth.

Extract of a letter from Lieut. Parsons, commanding H. M. packet Seagull, dated Falmouth Harbour, 18th Sept. 1837 ; addressed to Admiral Sir P. H. Durham. " we arrived here on the 18th from Mexico and Havannah ; we had the wind for twenty days from the east and east-north-east, with four days calm. In coming through the Gulf of Florida, and in the narrow part of the channel, on the night of the 30th July, I experienced a very heavy gale of wind from the north-west, which increased on the morning of the 31st, with thick weather, lightning, and rain in torrents. At about 10 A.M. we discovered discoloured water on the lee-beam, having had no observation on the 30th. At this time the wind was west, which made the Bahama bank (where I judged we were) a lee-shore; and in carrying a press of sail to clear it, all of them were split and blown out of the bolt-ropes: I was therefore under necessity of anchoring in five fathoms water; and by the time I had veered out 100 fathoms of chain, the vessel's stern was in 4½ fathoms. I did not let go the other anchor, fearing she might founder, as the sea was making a fair breach, and rolling aft to the wheel on the quarter-deck; and if we parted, we had still a chance of getting into the Old Bahama Channel. With great difficulty we tried to get another jib and trysail bent. " On the morning of the 1st August the wind increased, and blew a perfect hurricane for about four hours, when it moderated a little, and veered to the south-west, which enabled us to bend another topsail. At noon we began to weigh, and in three hours we were able to make sail off the reef. " The part of the bank on which I suppose we anchored is lat. 24° 40' north, long. 79° 8' west, and twelve miles south of Orange Keys. (Signed) J. PARSONS