|
ADVENTURE
|
(6) |
Survey sloop
|
Built in 1809, Lynn as the transport, AID.
Renamed ADVENTURE in 1821.
Sold in 1853. |
|
|
- As AID, 1817 William Henry SMYTH, Mediterranean.
She was fitted out to determine astronomically a new series of latitudes and longitudes for all the harbours, headlands and islands in the Mediterranean.
Later AID embarked a party of Austrian and Neapolitan officers and, with the Imperial sloop VELOX, Capt. Poelthl, under Capt. SMYTH's orders, he completed the survey of the shores of the Adriatic started by Napoleon Buonaparte.
This took only two years notwithstanding the plague raging in Albania.
Capt. SMYTH later assisted Sir Frederick Adam, High Commissioner of the Ionian Is, suppress an insurrection in Santa Maura by maintaining a strict blockade of the island. - In December 1820 he suggested to Lord MELVILLE that an expedition should be sent to explore that part of North Africa between Tripoli and Egypt which he described as a "perfect blot on the geography of the present day. " Following this suggestion Capt. SMYTH commissioned ADVENTURE, as she was renamed, in January 1821.
He was joined by Lieut. Frederick BEECHEY, recently returned from the Arctic, as assistant surveyor, and his brother Henry Beechey who was proficient in Arabic.
Lieut. Henry COFFIN volunteered for the enterprise, together with Mr John CAMPBELL, assistant surgeon, and Mr Edward TYHDALL, midshipman of the ADVENTURE. - ADVENTURE arrived at Tripoli on 10 September 1821 and, on the 15th., Capt. SMYTH introduced the BEECHEY brothers to the Bashaw.
In the afternoon his Highness sent a sword for the gunner and 500 piastres for the seamen and marines from ADVENTURE who had landed four guns to fire a salute.
While the shore party (which departed on the morning of 5 November, and included three Europeans to act as interpreters and servants, three Arabs from Tripoli to look after the horses, and had the aged Sheikh of Syrt with five Bedouins as an escort) struck out along the coast, ADVENTURE explored the small harbours between Tripoli and Bengazi.
By the following May Capt. SMYTH had surveyed Alexandria and this completed the whole coast between that place and Tripoli with plans of all the small harbours.
They had escaped injury from the the frequent hostility of the natives although the captain and Lieut. Michael SLATER were nearly cut off at Tobruk by a party of four of five hundred Bedouins.
His gig came under continuous fire until the natives were driven back by Mr Thomas ELSON, acting master, in the barge. - The Viceroy of Egypt, Mehemed Ali, was impressed when ADVENTURE entered Alexandria in safety.
to shelter from a violent storm during March 1822.
Two Turkish frigates, three corvettes and a brig were lost trying to reach shelter at the same time.
He offered him 'Cleopatra's Needle' as a present for King George IV.
Only the lack of official authority and circumstances preventing ADVENTURE from returning to Alexandria stopped an attempt to load the obelisk on to the sloop.
(When he returned to England in 1824 Capt. SMYTH reported the offer to the Treasury and a Capt. ARBUTHNOT was sent out to Egypt.)
- When he arrived at Bomba Capt. SMYTH found a letter there from the BEECHEY brothers and he sailed for Derna to join them.
Here he embarked Mr TYNDALL but left the others to continue the exploration of Cyrene where they had discovered two theatres, an amphitheatre and a stadium.
They left Bengazi on 25 July 1822 in a bullock-vessel bound for Malta. - A watering party from ADVENTURE was attacked by Arabs under Cape Carthage in September 1822 and the boatswain nearly strangled.
Capt. SMYTH protested to the consul, Mr Alexander Tulin, and through him the Bey apologised for the aggression.
Those responsible were given 300 bastinadoes publicly in the presence of the consul. - In August 1822 ADVENTURE was at Gibraltar where Capt. SMYTH, as senior naval officer, got embroiled in the Spanish civil war.
'Constitutional forces' under Valdes had captured Tariffa and seized a British merchant vessel but, when Capt. SMYTH sent over PANDORA for an explanation, he was accused by the French and Spanish authorities of assisting the 'rebels'.
Tariffa fell to the French on the 19th. and many of the prisoners were executed in sight of ADVENTURE. - On 19 September the people of ADVENTURE and PHAETON made unsuccessful efforts to save a burning American ship from destruction.
They received the thanks of the US consul for their efforts.
Shortly afterwards PHAETON was struck by lightning and set on fire while lying alongside ADVENTURE at the mole. - ADVENTURE returned home to be paid off in November 1824 "without the ship having touched the ground and without the loss of a spar, sail, cable or anchor. "
- 1825 Philip Parker KING, 09/1825, Deptford.
Following his extensive surveys around Australia in the MERMAID and the BATHURST, Cdr. KING was appointed to ADVENTURE to survey the southern coast of South America.
Cdr. STOKES of the BEAGLE was placed under his orders. - The ships entered the Straits of Magellan on 19 December 1826 but severe gales prevented them reaching Port Famine, near the southern end of the Brunswick Peninsular, until 6 January.
While BEAGLE went on to the western extremity of the straits, ADVENTURE remained at port Famine for three months, exploring the coast in the HOPE tender.
Many of the deep sounds and inlets on the southern side were examined and the straits mapped as far as Cape Forward.
They met one group of about 100 Patagonians.
They were a tall, broad-shouldered people, quiet and inoffensive.
Several spoke good Spanish and they were well equipped with horses.
By comparison the Fuegan Indians dragged out a miserable existence, strangers to every comfort.
The only unfortunate circumstance was the loss of the master and two seamen when a boat was upset crossing the straits. - The BEAGLE rejoined at the end of March, having fixed the position of Cape Pillar on Desolation Is.
and, early in April, the two vessels left for Monte Video for supplies before returning home.
- 1831 Out of commission at Deptford.
|
|
|
