HMS Penelope - log extracts 
HMS Penelope - log extracts 


William Loney R.N.DocumentsShips' logs Rolla ◄► Pantaloon

Extracts from the log of HMS Penelope for the period 21 February - 29 July 1845.
Source: ADM 53/1061, 28 June 1843 - 19 May 1846.

Gallinas - Accra - Lagos -Accra - Ascension - St Helena - Ascension - Gallinas - Sierra Leone - Cape Verde Islands - Sierra Leone - Ascension

The paddle steamer Penelope was flagship of Willam Jones, Commodore of the West African Squadron from April 1844 to April(?) 1846. By the end of that period the number of ships in the Squadron had risen to about 25, divided over a number of divisions.

The primary task of the flagship was to coordinate the various cruisers on the coast, and to keep them supplied. The links in the date column are to Reports of Proceedings from Commodore Jones to the Second (William Alexander Baillie Hamilton) or First (Rt. Hon. Henry Thomas Lowry Corry) Secretaries of the Admiralty.

Here is a list of the ships principal commissioned officers during this period (from the Navy List; not yet checked with the ship's muster book for exact dates). Although William Loney was carried on the books (as "Additional" Assistant Surgeon) from 22 February 1845, he only reached her (at Sierra Leone) on 24 May. 22 February was the date he joined Rolla in England, where that vessel was commissioning to join the squadron. Dr Loney's role was to replace an incapacitated colleague on one of the cruisers on the coast (which, after two months, he did).

1845
21 Feb Fri At anchor off Seabar [or Shebar, central Sierra Leone, mapExternal link]: Arrived HMSV [Her Majesty's Steam Vessel] Albert
22 Feb Sat Steamed up, weighed and proceeded with two boilers
23 Feb Sun a.m.
7:30 The Commodore left the ship with the two cutters to procede up the Gallinas for the purpose of holding a conference with the native chiefs
p.m.
6 The commodore and boats returned
[Report to Lt.-Governor of Sierra Leone]
3 Mar Mon Proceded SSE
6.28 °N, 11.10 °W
8 Mar Sat Came to off Accra
Weighed
13 Mar Thu Running for Princes Island [modern Príncipe, north of São Tomé]
Stopped and came to in West Bay
15 Mar Sat Weighed
16 Mar Sun Stopped and came to in Clarence Cove [a popular watering place on the island of Fernando Po, modern Bioko Island, part of Equatorial Guinea]
19 Mar Wed Weighed
22 Mar Sat a.m.
Anchored off Lagos
12 Proceeded full speed in chase of stranger
p.m.
Observed chase anchor off Lagos
3:40 Fired a gun, chase shewed American colours
24 Mar Mon Came too off Accra
25 Mar Tue Received 20 oxen with fodder of 300 pounds of yassis[yams?]
2 Apr Wed Anchored [at Ascension]
6 Apr Sun Weighed
10 Apr Thu Came to off Jamestown [St Helena]
17 Apr Thu Weighed
18 Apr Fri 15.0 °S, 7.5 °W
22 Apr Tue Came to in Georges Bay [i.e. off Georgetown, Ascension, and not Fernando Po]
7 May Wed Weighed
9 May Fri 4.45 °S, 14.07 °W
15 May Thu At anchor off Gallinas
17 May Sat Weighed
18 May Sun Anchored as Sierra Leone
23 May Fri Her Majesty's brig Rolla [in which William Loney had come out from England to join Penelope] made her number
24 May Sat Sailed H.M. Brig Rolla
28 May Wed Weighed for Boa Vista
30 May Fri 10.30 °N, 16.44 °W
1 June Sun 14.24 °N, 19.36 °W
2 June Mon Anchored in Boa Vista roads [Cape Verde Islands]
10 June Tue Weighed
12 June Thu At anchor, Porto Grande, St Vincent [Cape Verde Islands]
13 June Fri Weighed
15 June Sun At Anchor, Porto Praya [modern Praia, São Tiago, Cape Verde islands]
17 June Tue Weighed
18 June Wed At anchor, Boa Vista
19 June Thu Weighed
24 June Tue At Anchor, Sierra Leone
2 July Wed Weighed
3 July Thu 7.29 °N, 13.17 °W
4 July Fri At anchor, off Gallinas
5 July Sat Weighed
11 July Fri 2.50 °N, 8.18 °W
14 July Mon Ascension: anchored
28 July Fri Pantaloon arrived [into which William Loney was transferred]


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