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HOBART
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(18) |
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Described by Lieut. John MARSHALL in 1828 as a ship of about 700 bm, originally an English West Indiaman. She had been taken by the Dutch and sent with a cargo to Java where she had been retaken by the ARROGANT and ORPHEUS. The HOBAT listed above is the only one in Steel's List so were probably one and the same. Lieut. MARSHALL appears to have got his information from Capt. EVANS. |
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- 1800 Lieut. Robert EVANS was appointed by Vice Ad RAINIER although his commission as a commander was not confirmed until April 1802.
When he joined her at Amboyna he found that she was in a very rotten state and making two feet of water an hour while lying at anchor. - He sailed for Ternate and, while beating between Batyang and the rocks to the westward, the ship was drawn by a 10 knot current into a narrow passage between two small islands near Gillolo.
If she grounded nothing would have stopped her falling over and only by allowing the flukes of an anchor to drag along the ground was he able to keep her stern to the opening until she drifted through.
He later surveyed the passage for the Hydrographical Office. - From Ternate he proceeded to the Goonongtalla river in the Celebes where, in ten days, his carpenters and blacksmith constructed a launch, most of his boats having been destroyed in a recent gale. She was built under the protection of the marines and two 6-pounders since Capt. EVANS was well aware of treacherous nature of the local Sultan.
Indeed scarcely had the boat been launched and hoisted in, and the ship released from the trees, when about 1,000 Malays were discovered coming over the hills, and nearly 200 canoes dropping down the river.
Armed men in each of HOBART's tops stopped any thoughts the natives might of had of attacking them and the Sultan came on board to bid them farewell. - He returned to Aboyna and escorted the PRINCESS CHARLOTTE, an East Indiaman laden with spices, clear of Coupang in Timor.
HOBART was becoming more and more defective and, with all his officers sick, Capt. EVANS and the gunner were keeping watch and watch.
So he made for Prince of Wales Island for emergency repairs before crossing the Bay of Bengal to Madras.
However the leaks increased to 6 feet an hour as he entered the bay so he returned and sent a letter to the Commander in Chief saying that he intended to hove HOBART down to see if he could patch her up for the voyage.
Vice Ad. RAINIER sent the VICTOR to accompany her if she was fit to sail but ordered her to be sold if she was not. - When Capt. EVANS realised that the government would lose if her hull and stores were sold in Prince of Wales Island, he resolved that HOBART would sail back to Madras so her crew undertook the laborious task of heaving her down.
- While at Prince of Wales Island Capt. EVANS discovered that the Americans were engaged in smuggling goods from Madras or Bengal.
They would clear for America but then dispose of their cargoes in Pulo Penang.
He seized the brig ROEBUCK, belonging to a Mr James Bishop, which arrived on 8 September 1802 and, without permission, sold the cargo.
Although he had infringed the treaty between Great Britain and the United States of 1783, the ROEBUCK was eventually condemned and the incident led to the formation of a government at Prince of Wales Island. - HOBART crossed the bay without incident and accompanied Vice Ad. RAINIER to the Point de Galle from where she sailed alone to the Malabar coast.
Once again she started leaking and was making 6 feet of water an hour when SHEERNESS (44) providentially appeared on the scene and towed her to Bombay.
In the dockyard it was found that, but for her copper, she must have foundered.
Many of the main-deck beams were held together by the paint that covered them.
Shortly afterwards she was sold. -
(After the peace of Amiens Capt. EVANS took passage home in the Indiaman UNITED KINGDOM, but, when they reached St. Helena, he heard of the renewal of hostilities.
He agreed with his fellow passengers to pay the master of a whaler £1,000 between them to take them home but off Cape Clear they were captured by the French privateer VAILLANT which put a prize crew on board.
After 21 days the French were lost so Capt. EVANS took them into Corunna where they found the British frigate SIRIUS.
They finally landed from a borrowed cutter in Falmouth at the beginning of November 1803.
His journey cost Capt. EVANS 500 pounds which the Admiralty refused to pay.)
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