Hecla, 1839
Type: 2nd class sloop ; Armament 4
Launched : 14 Jan 1839 ; Disposal date or year : 1863
BM: 817 tons ; Displacement: 1096 tons
Propulsion: Paddle
Machinery notes: 240 h.p.
Notes:

28 Jul 1839 Portsmouth Lieutenant John Betterton Cragg, appointed to command the Hecla.

7 Sep 1839 Portsmouth departed on Monday for the West Indies, touching at Plymouth.

6 Jun 1840 Third Engineer Andrew Witham appointed to the Victory, for Echo, vice Bain, appointed to Hecla.

24 Jul 1840 departed Jamaica with mail.

28 Jul 1840 arrived Cape Hayti and towed the Mutine outside.

15 Feb 1841 at Barbadoes.

Circa 30 Jun 1841 presumably still at Barbadoes, where the officers and men are reported to still be suffering from fever, the Clerk in Charge having died in June.

Circa 18 Sep 1841 was at Barbadoes when the troop ship Columbia touched there, en route from Antigua for England.

25 Nov 1841 remained at Barbadoes when the packet Megaera departed for Plymouth.

5 Feb 1842, departed Barbadoes for England.

18 Mar 1842 arrived Spithead from the West Indies, and has departed for Woolwich to be paid off.

31 Mar 1842 paid off at Woolwich.

26 Oct 1844->18 Jan 1848 Hecla's itinerary with many thanks to Steven Hewitt.

1846 in the Levant

7 and 12 July 1847 salvage of May Queen ; salvage money due for payment 18 Oct. 1848

20 Dec 1848 Sheerness

8 Apr 1850 detained in lat. 3� 45' N. Long. 4� 50' E. the Brazilian slave schooner 3a Andorinha.

19 Apr 1850 detained in lat. 4� 40' N. Long. 4� 25' E. the Brazilian slave brig Leao.

9 May 1850 detained in lat. 4� 38' N. Long. 4� 23' E. the Brazilian slave schooner Nova Andorinha.

11 Jun 1850 detained in lat. 5� 40' N. Long. 4� 10' E. the Brazilian slave brig Flor de Maria, with 270 slaves on board, Joao Antonio de Souza Nobre, master ; she was condemned on 9 Jul 1850, by the Vice-Admiralty Court at Sierra Leone, 266 slaves were eventually emancipated.

19 Jun 1850 detained in lat. 6� 23' N. Long. 3� 40' E. the Brazilian slave briga Caramaru, with 341 slaves on board, Francisco Antonio de Sousa, master ; she was condemned on 17 Jul 1850, by the Vice-Admiralty Court at Sierra Leone, 330 slaves were eventually emancipated.

Feb 1851 sighted off the Congo on anti-slavery patrol

6 May 1851 observed the Sardinian brig Vincitore depart Ambriz, as if bound for Cabenda, which the master had stated was his destination. Had also observed a number of Cabenda boats moving in shore and after dark sent the whaler in shore to watch them, but in view of the dark night it was only able to arrest two Cabenda boats loaded with food, farinha, for a slave ship, and with planks for a slave deck. At day break was able to arrest a further Cabenda boat with slave gear on board, the other boats having thrown their cargoes overboard. departed to search for the brig Vincitore which was eventually found to the north of Granite Pillar Bay, but she had been unable to embark the slaves waiting for her as the food and other materials destined for her had either been detained by the Hecla or thrown over board from the Cabenda boats because of her appearance or of her boats presence, the Wasp's pinnace having also been observed watching events. The three boats and their cargoes which were detained, having no papers, were destroyed and the Vincitore returned to Ambriz on the 10th.

25 Jun 1851 whilst en route from Benguala to St. Paul de Loanda detained a slave Brig, Name Unknown, off Cape St. Bras, West Coast of Africa, by the ship's boats, having been set on fire by her departing crew, which, in view of the damage already caused, was allowed to take its course once the vessel had been measured and inspected for slave goods and fittings. It being found that she was fitted out for the slave trade she was condemned on 29 Sep 1851 at the Vice Admiralty Court at Sierra Leone.

7 Jul 1851 relieved the Firefly, off Point Padrone.

31 Jul 1851 off the River Congo, reports that she has received intelligence that the former Sardinian brig Vincitore had escaped from the River Congo with 650 slaves on board some days prior to 7 Jul., but does go on to say that it is not possible to watch all the coastline when dealing with vessels like the Vincitore, which whilst part fitted out for the slave trade and able to load the slave deck, water, provisions, and finally their cargo of slaves in about 4 hours, and also completed a sale of the vessel to her new owner, thus leaving the vessel sailing under no flag should she be detained by an RN cruiser : due to vested interests in the slave trade and consequent political pressures on the Genoese courts they are not prepared to convict a slave vessel unless it is actually carrying slaves, and they are prepared to ignore the fact that she may be fitted out for the slave trade and inflict large damages for what they term an illegal arrest.

19 Feb 1854 departed Hull for the Baltic with the Masters of the vessels shortly due to depart Spithead for that place - see p. 413 at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

15 Apr 1854 captured Russian brig Patrioten [Prize Money per London Gazette of 21 Jul 1857].

19 May 1854 Arrogant and Hecla involved in operations at and near Eckness and capture a merchantman Carleby and meet the Dauntless on their return - see p. 417-> at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

20 May 1854 Hecla, in company with the Arrogant, detained the Russian barque Augusta.

22 May 1854 the Hecla fired a few rounds into a fort close by Fort Gustafvard, but sustained no damage - see p. 418-> at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

21 Jun 1854 the Hecla, Odin, and Valorous were sent in to shell the main fort at Bomarsund, but were unable to do any serious damage - see p. 420 at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

10 Aug 1854 Penelope went ashore under the Russian guns and had to throw her guns overboard and was much mauled by the enemy's red-hot shot before she could be floated off, assisted by the boats of the Hecla, Gladiator, Valorous, and Pigmy, who also suffered - see p. 424 at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

Circa 23 Jan 1855 When returning from a cruise to the westward was reported to have got ashore at Gibraltar. Officers and men all safe.

Circa 18 Feb 1855 reported to have been got off with assistance from the Caesar and Gorgon.

23 Apr 1856, Present at Fleet Review, Spithead ; Commander Aplin

6 June 1856 departed England for anti-slavery duties on the West Coast of Africa.

23 Feb 1857 at Sierra Leone.

2 May 1857 off Rio Pongas.

2 Feb 1858 off Whydah, boarded the Spanish brig Don Juan, of Barcelona, Bernardo Sapera, master. However, there does appear to be some subsequent confusion regarding who the "real" master was on this occasion of the boarding.

19 Feb 1858 off Jellicoffe. Boarded the American schooner Hanover.

28th March, 1858 Bights Division, on the West Coast of Africa: following a visit by the Flag Officer he stated that there is no doubt that the vigilance of our cruisers alone has prevented the shipment of large numbers of slaves from the lagoons communicating with Whydah. The increase of the squadron has been most advantageous, and the cruizers, under Commander Aplin's judicious guidance, have been so far, I hope, completely successful. The squadron at present consists of the Hecla, Trident (to be relieved by Ardent,) Triton, Sharpshooter, Pluto, and Brune. l have stated that there is no doubt that the Slave Trade in the neighbourhood of Whydah is checked only by our cruizers; in proof of this I may mention that all the reports from British residents show that the demand for slaves in the interior markets has much increased, that the slave-hunts from Abomey and from Abbeokuta have been revived, and that three undoubted slavers, with two suspected vessels, are at this moment on the coast. These are, the Marshall, and the Hanover, both under American colours ; and the Don Juan, Spanish brig lately purchased, it is said, by slave-dealers, off Appi, watched by the Trident. There is also reason to suspect the American barque Firefly, boarded by the Pluto on the 10th of March last, and a Portuguese schooner. I have written to the American Commander-in-chief pressing him to station an American ship of war in the Bights.

8 May 1858 Mr Campbell, British Consul at Lagos, announces that the Commanding Officer of the Hecla has told him that there are no suspicious vessels to be met with in the Bight of Benin ; in other words, there are no slave vessels to be confronted - at least at the present time, for there has been a revival of the trade along other parts of the Coast.

22 May 1858 steamed from Lagos to Whydah, and anchored in company with French vessels. Visited a number of American vessels to enquire regarding their state of provisions in the light of the fact that the Buffalo and Ardent which would normally of have these goods, had been absent for so long : probably an opportunity to gather any scuttlebutt that might be doing the rounds. Shortly afterwards departed with mail for the Sharpshooter and left the Trident to watch the US merchant ship Lydia Gibbs, who was strongly suspected of being a slave ship.

9 Jun 1858 off Tachin, boarded the Warren White with a view to inspecting the ship's papers.

18 Jun 1858 arrived at Whydah. The mate of the Warren White (W. W.)was complaining to the commanding officer of the US corvette Marion regarding the boarding by officers from the Hecla off Tachin, resulting in the commanding officer of the Marion holding an investigation during which the mate of the W. W. denied his earlier insinuations. The American boarding officers also experienced problems with the mate's vivid imagination.

20 Jun 1858 at Lagos.

3 Feb 1859 returned to England from the West Coast of Africa.

1860 Devonport.