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AMAZON
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(32) |
5th rate
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Built in 1773, Rotherhithe.
Broken up in 1794. |
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- 1777 Capt. Maximillian JACOBS, with the North American squadron. He returned home in 1779 when he was promoted to the DEFIANCE (64).
- 1779 Capt. William Clement FINCH. On the 10th. and 11th. of October the West Indian Islands experienced one of the most dreadful hurricanes that could be remembered. Capt. FINCH gives the following account of the preservation of the AMAZON.
- The morning of the commencement of the gale, the Amazon stood under her storm stay sails; it was for but a short time that the canvas held; after that the ship behaved perfectly well. About seven at night the gale increased to a degree that can better be conceived by the consequences than any description I can give. There was an evident necessity of doing something to relieve the ship; but I was unwilling to cut away the lower masts till the last extremity, and accordingly ordered the people to cut away the main top mast; my orders were attempted to be put into execution with the utmost alacrity; but before it was completed, I found it necessary to call them down to cut away the main-mast. Whilst I was waiting for the men to come down, a sudden gust overset the ship; most of the officers, with myself, and a number of the ship's company, got upon the side of the ship, the wheel on the quarter deck was then under water. In this situation I could perceive the ship settling bodily some feet, until the water washed up the after part of the carronades on the weather side. Notwithstanding the ship was so far gone, upon the masts, bowsprit, & c going away, she righted as far as to bring the lee gun whale even with the water's edge. By the exertions of the officers and men. we soon got the lee quarter deck guns and carronades overboard; and soon after one of forecastle guns and sheet anchor cut away, which had so good an effect, that we were enabled to get at the pumps and lee guns on the main deck; the throwing them overboard was, in our situation a work of great difficulty; and I could perceive the ship was already going down by the stern. This arduous task was carried out under the direction of Lieut. Edward Packenham, the water was above the cable on the orlop deck, with a vast quantity between decks, and the stump of the main-mast falling out of the step, occasioned one of the chain pumps to be rendered useless, as was the other soon after; by the great activity of the two carpenter's mates, they were alternately cleared. Besides the loss of the masts, the books and papers were totally destroyed, and twenty seamen drowned and wounded.
- On 10 October 1780 AMAZON was one of the many vessels at St. Lucia driven from their anchorage during a hurricane, she was dismasted and left a complete wreck.
- 1784 August, Out of commission, under repair at Plymouth.
- Broken up at Plymouth in June 1794.
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