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PSYCHE (36) Taken from the French by Cdr. Henry LAMBERT (act.Capt.
  • In SAN FIORENZO off the coast of India on 14 February 1805.

    Sold 1812) PSYCHE, Capt. Jacques Bergeret, with two prizes, was chased by SAN FIORENZO off the Malabar coast on the 13th. and brought to action on the evening of the 14th.
    The French fired high to damage rigging, SAN FIORENZO fired into the enemy hull.
    Bergeret tried to board but was driven back.
    LAMBERT withdrew for repairs but before he could reopen fire, the French surrendered with 57 killed and 70 wounded.
    SAN FIORENZO lost 12 killed and 36 wounded.
  • 1807 Capt. Fleetwood Broughton PELLEW (act.
    Cdr. act.
    Capt.) [Actually still an 18 year old lieutenant but his father was Rear Ad. Sir Edward PELLEW, his post commission was dated 14 Oct.
  • 1808] Madras.
    In June the Rear Admiral sent PSYCHE under the orders of Capt. Peter RAINIER in CAROLINE to search for two Dutch ships REVOLUTIE (68), and PLUTO (68), supposed to be in the Sourabaya River in Java.
    They learned from a prize that the Dutch ships were wrecks, so PSYCHE anchored off Samarang at midnight on 30 August and the following morning Lieut. Lambert KERSTEMAN and act.
    Lieut. Charles SULLIVAN, with PSYCHE's boats brought out an armed schooner and a merchant brig which they burnt.
    Later in the day three vessels were driven ashore before being re-floated and taken to Madras.
    They were the SCIPIO (24) and two merchantmen.
  • 1808 Capt. John EDGCUMBE.
    Bombay.
    PSYCHE conveyed Brig. Gen. Malcolm and his suite to the Persian Gulf and continued giving protection to the British embassy during four of the hottest months of the year.
    During May and June 1808 they spent much of the time at anchor in Abusheer roads, making an occasional trip to Carrack for water.
    Mr G. T. Heath, PSYCHE's surgeon, described the wind as not hot, only 76 82 degrees, but drying and parching, with a total stoppage of perspiration.
    On 29 June they left for Congoon, where they anchored on 3 July.
    Here the coolest parts of the ship, the captain's cabin and the half deck, never fell below 90 degrees, and on one occasion the quarter deck reached 126 degrees.
    John SPILLARD, a 30 year old landsman, was seized with symptoms of inflammation of the brain, and died within three hours of burst blood vessels.
    Capt. EDGCUMBE tried a bath of cold sea water and managed to go to sleep for ten minutes at a time, but Mr HEATH advised him against it.
  • PSYCHE was docked at Bombay, then escorted a convoy to Point de Galle.
    They embarked troops at Colombo to suppress a mutiny at Travancore.
    and later captured two vessels carrying elephants for the mutinous army.
  • When news reached the East Indies that Spain had changed sides, PSYCHE was put under the orders of Capt. COLE in DORIS to try and bring the government of the Philippines to the same way of thinking.
    This mission completed and a valuable prize, the annual Japan ship from Batavia, taken, they went to Macao in a fruitless search for two French frigates before trying to return though the South China Sea against the monsoon.
    Both ships were driven out into the Pacific and shortage of provisions and fatigue resulted in many deaths from scurvy and dysentery before they returned to the Malacca roads.
  • 1810 Cape of Good Hope.
    With the expeditionary force which assembled off Rodriguez in November, some 70 sail carrying 10,000 troops, to attack the Isle de France, now Mauritius.
    The force landed at Grande Baie on 29 November and on 3 December the island surrendered.
  • In June 1811 PSYCHE was at Penang with the fleet under Rear Ad. Robert STOPFORD and nearly 12,000 officers and men from Bengal.
    They sailed for Java on 11 June and before dark on the 4 August 8,000 men had been landed about 12 miles east of Batavia which surrendered on 8th., the warships and the transports moving into the roadstead.
    The Dutch had concentrated in Meester Cornelis, nine miles from Batavia, a fortified camp with 280 guns.
    The siege started on 20 August and the works were stormed on the 25th. following a fierce bombardment.
    The Dutch lost 1,000 troops and 5,000 were taken prisoner.
    The British losses during the siege were 156 killed and 788 wounded, of which 15 killed and 55 wounded were from the Royal Navy.
  • Capt. EDGCUMBE was struck down by hepatitis immediately after the surrender of Batavia and Ad. STOPPFORD ordered him home in the CAROLINE frigate.
  • He was replaced by Capt. Robert Worgan George FESTING, (posted 9 Oct.
  • 1811) who had been acting captain of ILLUSTRIOUS previous to the sailing of the expedition against Java and had been serving ashore with the army.
  • Geoff Mentzer contributes the following letter and details of her sale.
  • Andover July 8th. 1812 [postmarked 9 Jul. 1812]
  • SIR.
  • I have received your Letter informing me of the bounty of the Men doing duty as Marines having been charged to my Wages, by the direction of their Lordships.
  • In consequence I think it necessary to explain more fully
  • On my joining the Psyche in August last in Batavia Roads I found her very weakly Manned and not a Marine on board, and as the Ships in India were all allowed (when short of Marines) to bear Landsmen in lieu (By order of the Commander in Chief) I thought it a good opportunity to get a party of Dutch Soldiers who volunteered, and on my arrival at Bombay applied to Commissioner Dundas to pay them the Bounty as SM, which he made no objection to, and as such they were paid as will appear to their Lordships by the Lists which will be all forwarded, and together with the Ships Books fully prove to them that the error arises from the Mens not having been born on the Books as SM, but as an instance of this kind bearing Dutch Soldiers & Volunteers had before happened in the Psyche, I was not aware of its being so improper.
    I must beg leave to state that the Party have been of the greatest assistance to the Ship, and also, that I should before this time have attended at the Admiralty to pay my Respects, but have continued near Portsmouth to be ready when the Rhin arrives to be present at the Payment of the Psyches Crew should their Lordships have thought it necessary, but if it can be dispensed with, I shall lose not a Moment in repairing to town.
  • I remain Sir
  • Your very obedient humble Servt
  • Robt Festing Capt RN
  • On His Majesty's Service
  • J W Croker Esq
  • Secretary to the Admiralty
  • London
  • PSYCHE was sold in 1812 and delivered to the purchaser,M. Santos, at Ferrol in Spain on the afternoon of Thursday 6 August.
    The pendant was hauled down and her people sent on board the BIDEFORD transport for passage to England.
    Capt. FESTING had been lent to RHIN (36) on on 11 June by the orders of Sir Home POPHAM, VENERABLE.


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