Lyra, 1857
Type: Sloop ; Armament 9
Launched : 26 Mar 1857 ; Disposal date or year : 1876
BM: 488 tons ; Displacement: 653 tons
Propulsion: Screw
Machinery notes: 60 h.p.
Notes:

3 Jul 1854 date of order for building vessel - 1 of 4 of the Lyra Class, which also included the Ariel, Curlew, and Swallow.

10 May 1858 between 9.40 and 11.30 p.m., boarded the French ship Marie et C�line, and again the following morning, which appears to been a cause for some complaint on the part of the French.

20 May 1858 detained a Portuguese slave dhow, the Flor de Mozambique.

20 May 1858 detained in Lat. 15� 50' S., long. 40� 22' E., 2 days out from Quillimane, the Portuguese slave dhow Flor de Mozambique, Abduremane Ibraim, master, with 4 slaves on board, and landed her crew on the Bazaruto Islands. The case was sent for adjudication to Mixed Court at the Cape of Good Hope, and on 20 Aug 1858 sentenced to be restored to her owners.

9 Jun 1858 was reported to have arrived at Natal and landed the slaves from the the Flor de Mozambique, in the charge of Lieutenant Harris, for Cape Town, and with Mr. Consul McLeod, who had struck his flag at Mozambique, and was departing Natal on the 10 June for Mauritius. The detention of the Flor de Mozambique was appealed and was restored to master and owner, however, since the vessel was burnt compensation of �166 : 19s. 6d. was eventually awarded.

11 Jul 1858 departed for Johanna.

26 Jul 1858 arrived at Johanna and was greeted by the French, with a letter from the Commander of the G�nie complaining about the boarding of the French brig Alfred by the Persian. Whilst at Johanna had an audience with the King with the British Consul, Mr. Sunley, during which the subject of the Slave Trade was discussed.

29 Jul 1858 departed Johanna and cruised amongst the islands capturing 2 dhows belonging to Johanna, and an Arab dhow, releasing one of the former at the request of Mr. Sunley.

30 Jul 1858 the ship's boats detained off Mohilla an armed slave dhow, Name Unknown, which was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at the Cape of Good Hope, and on 11 Feb 1859 sentenced to be condemned.

31 Jul 1858 detained half-way between Mohilla and Johanna, the slave dhow Salama, which was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at the Cape of Good Hope, and on 11 Feb 1859 sentenced to be condemned.

1 Aug 1858 visited Pomony Harbour, and departed the following day, leaving the pinnace to watch the Comoro Islands and arrived on the 8th at Angoxa. Leaving a whale boat to watch this coast attempted to cross over to Boyanna Bay, but was unable to due to contrary winds.

4 Aug 1858 off the south end of Comoro the ship's pinnace chased a slave dhow, Name Unknown, which was run on shore. She was measured, and burnt and the case sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at the Cape of Good Hope, and on 11 Feb 1859 sentenced to be condemned under Act 2 & 3 Yict., cap. 73.

8 Aug 1858 one of the ship's boats visited a French merchant vessel to ask whether the bar was passable, which for some strange reason appears to have been the cause of some subsequent complaint by the French. Presumably it got lost in the translation ?

16 Aug 1858 picked up the pinnace, off Pomony : the pinnace had run a small slave vessel on shore, in Lat. 17� 20' S., long. 39� 30' E., off Coldeiro Point. The vessel, the Portuguese slave launch Fatte Mabruque, alias Emalada, Amade Bini Amissi, master, was sent for adjudication to Mixed Court at the Cape of Good Hope, and on 23 Dec 1858 sentenced to be restored to her owners.

18 Aug 1858 picked up the cutter off Pomba Bay, which had called at the various ports between Mokamba and Pomba, only meeting a French brig embarking negroes to the north of Conducia Bay.

21 Aug 1858 anchored of Angoxa.

22 Aug 1858 a ship's boat detained a dhow, Name Unknown, supposed Fatta Heria, of 151 tons, no flag or papers, chased into the Angoxa river and when boarded was found to have a crew of thirty men, five large tanks, calabashes, and slave-mats ; she was therefore detained, but next morning the Arab crew attacked and drove away the crew of the Lyra's boat. Captain Oldfield thereupon applied to the Sultan of Angoxa for the restitution of the dhow, which was given up, and being found unfit for a voyage to the Cape was destroyed. The case was send to the Vice-Admiralty Court at the Cape of Good Hope where the vessel was condemned on 18 Feb 1859, under Act 2 and 3 Vict. cap. 73.

23 Aug 1858 the ship's pinnace detained in the River Angoxa, four miles from Angoxa, a dhow, Name Unknown, of 237 tons, without flag or papers, seized in the same place as the dhow of 311 tons (Case No. 11). On boarding , it being found that she had a slave-deck laid, and rice, millet, &c., on board. She was burnt and the case sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at the Cape of Good Hope, and on 18 Feb 1859 sentenced to be condemned, under, 2 & 3 Vict. cap. 73.

24 Aug 1858 detained 3 miles off the River Angoxa the Muscat slave dhow Zohora, Amissi Ebn Reihed, master, with 115 slaves on board, which was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at the Cape of Good Hope, and on 11 Feb 1859 sentenced to be condemned.

31 Aug 1858 destroyed 3 slave dhows, Name Unknown, 11 miles up the River Angoxa. On 8 Sep 1858 the ship's boats returned and destroyed, with shell and rockets, a fourth dhow, name also unknown, at the same place, shored up under a stockade and previously deemed imprudent to board and destroy. The cases were sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at the Cape of Good Hope, and on 11 Feb 1859 the vessels were sentenced to be condemned, under Act 2 & 3 Vict., cap. 73.

6 Sep 1858 detained by a ship's boat the Portuguese slave schooner Esperanca, Mamad Ali Ussini, master, in Lat. 18� 18' S., long. 39� 55' E., off Coldeiro Point which was sent for adjudication to Mixed Court at the Cape of Good Hope, and on 28 Dec 1858 sentenced to be Restored to her master and owner with costs etc.

11 Sep 1858 arrived at Mozambique.

18 Sep 1858 departed Mozambique for Quillimane arriving off the bar on 21 Sep., and with bad weather arriving on 24 Sep headed for the open sea, and visited Boyanna, Bembatooka, and Rafalla Bays, in Madagascar.

2 Oct 1858 detained a dhow, name unknown, of 66 tons, no flag or papers, in Boyanna Bay, as it was trying to enter Boteler river, but ran on the bar. A boat being sent from the Lyra, the crew deserted the vessel, which was found to have slave-deck beams laid, and planks fitted ready, water in excess, a double cooking-range, &c. The dhow was burnt and was subsequently condemned by the Vice-Admiralty Court at the Cape of Good Hope on 11 Feb 1859, under Act 2 & 3 Vict, cap. 73.

18 Oct 1858 at Mozambique.

19 Oct 1858 I can't find a specific mention of this incident elsewhere, so FWIW, in the Flag Officer's (Simon's Town) letter of this date to the Secretary of the Admiralty there is mention of the murder of a boat's crew of three men by the Arabs, and that Commander Oldfield had burnt their dhows. One of the items above for August might be relevant ? Lots of dhows get burnt, but usually because they were considered unfit to sail to the Cape of Good Hope. It would also have been an ideal excuse to have been able to avoid having to put a prize crew on board a dhow and sending it to Simon's Town to be condemned, with all the manpower problems that would have caused, with men being away for a month or two ?

20 Feb 1859 departed Simon's Bay for a 4 month cruize on the East Coast of Africa.

7 Mar 1859 arrived at St. Augustine's Bay, where a French engag� vessel was discovered, but not molested. It was reported that 3 of these vessels had been wrecked on the shore, and no lives lost.

9 Mar 1859 departed for Johanna.

16 Mar 1859 called in at Boyanna. Two villages were reported to have been destroyed by fire by the French, 15 of whom were killed.

18 Mar 1859 called at Majunga.

19 Mar 1859 visited the Governor and was well received and received news of the slave trade.

20 Mar 1859 departed for Nareenda Bay where it was discovered that French engag� vessels had been trading for slaves....oops I can't get used to the fact that the French at this date prefer the term emigrants for peoples who have no say in where they are going to be sent! 22 Mar departed for Rafalla Bay, 60 miles further along the coast.

23 Mar 1859 at sunset arrived Rafalla Bay, having boarded to dhows during the day and released them.

24 Mar 1859 departed in search of an island in Nos Bay where Arab and French slave traders meet, but wind unfavourable and departed for Johanna, having boarded and released a dhow.

26 Mar 1859 chased, boarded and released a dhow.

28 Mar 1859 arrived Pomony Harbour, Johanna, where we joined company with H.M. brig Persian and supplied her with a month's provisions and landed stores for the Lynx.

29 Mar 1859 departed for Mozambique.

30 Mar 1859 boarded and released a dhow bound from Zanzibar for Comoro.

1 Apr 1859 returned to Johanna, where information was received from the consulate that our presence was required at Zanzibar in the light of news being received that the Sultan of Muscat intended to launch an attack on the state, and departed at noon : in addition, intelligence was also received regarding the state of the slave trade in the region.

13 Apr 1859 arrived at Zanzibar where the Persian had already arrived, along with two vessels of war belonging to H.E.I.C. and 2 French vessels of war.

18 Apr 1859 departed for Mozambique.

28 Apr 1859 arrived at Mozambique, and sent the cutter, under the command of a Mate, Mr. C. J. Vidal to cruise off the River Angoxa and visit the St. Antonio River en route. News has been received that French engag� vessels have been engaged in the slave trade in the River Angoza, and are paying 44 dollars per head. A number of dhows were also active in the region, but were left to the Persian and her pinnace to deal with.

7-11 May 1859 employed ship's boats to search and watch in shore and in the mouths of rivers in the region of Angoxa Point.

12-13 May 1859 departed for the River Tejungo, arriving after dark, and the following day sent a ship's boat in search of a dhow which was reported to be ready to ship her human cargo, but the bar was impassable due to the direction of the winds and returned on board.

13 May 1859 departed after dark for Quillimane to learn news of Mr. Livingstone.

14 May 1859 observed a brig which crossed the bar off Quillimane before she could be apprehended.

29 Jun 1859 arrived Natal from a cruize.

31 Oct 1859 arrived Johanna from the coast of Mozambique and rendez-voused with the Brisk.

14 Nov 1859 put to sea with the Brisk and Lynx.

20 Nov 1859 with the Brisk anchored off the Angoxa River and using the ships' boats went to Angoxa where the Sultan was warned of the consequences should he continue to support the slave trade.

29 Nov 1859 parted company with the Brisk for the Northern part of the Station.

2 Dec 1859 arrived at the Island of Ibo, where the brig mentioned in the next paragraph was noticed.

3 Dec 1859 detained the slave brig, Name Unknown, but supposed Echo, late Rubens Anvers, of Antwerp, following a 5 hour chase, to the north of Ibo, in the north part of Matemo. She was fitted out to take 800 slaves. She was sent to Simon's Town under a prize crew for adjudication, where she arrived on 10 Dec.

18 Dec 1859 detained a slave vessel, Name Unknown.

8 Aug 1860 detained the slave barque Name Unknown, supposed Esperanza, 5 miles S.S.W. of north point of Monfra : condemned by the Mixed Court at the Cape of Good Hope.

20 Mar 1861, detained a slave dhow, Name Unknown.

22 Mar 1861, detained a slave dhow, Name Unknown.

25 Mar 1861, detained a slave dhow, Name Unknown.

27 Mar 1861, detained a slave dhow, Name Unknown.

1 Apr 1861 detained in lat. 6� 7' S., long. 39� 14' E., a slave dhow, Name Unknown, which was burnt, and the case sent for adjudication to Cape of Good Hope and sentenced to be condemned.

3 Apr 1861 detained in lat. 6� 6' S., long. 39� 14' E., a slave dhow, Name Unknown, which was burnt, and the case sent for adjudication to Cape of Good Hope and sentenced to be condemned.

6 Apr 1861 detained in lat. 6� 6' S., long. 39� 14' E., a slave dhow, Name Unknown, which was burnt, and the case sent for adjudication to Cape of Good Hope and sentenced to be condemned.

8 Apr 1861 detained in lat. 6� 6' S., long. 39� 14' E. a slave dhow, Name Unknown, which was burnt, and the case sent for adjudication to Cape of Good Hope and sentenced to be condemned.

11-12 Apr 1861 detained 5 dhows, Names Unknown, in Zanzibar Harbour, of 77, 108, 102, 119 and 99 tons, which were burnt, and their cases sent for adjudication to the Cape of Good Hope and sentenced to be condemned.

13 Apr 1861 detained 2 dhows, Names Unknown, in Zanzibar Harbour, 101 and 89 tons, which were burnt, and their cases sent for adjudication to the Cape of Good Hope and sentenced to be condemned.

14 Apr 1861 detained in lat. 5� 14' S., long. 39� 48' E., a slave dhow, Name Unknown, 146 tons, which was burnt and the case sent for adjudication to the Cape of Good Hope and sentenced to be condemned.

17 Apr 1861 detained in lat. 4� 38' S., long. 39� 25' E., a slave dhow, Name Unknown, 164 tons, which was burnt and the case sent for adjudication to the Cape of Good Hope and sentenced to be condemned.

17 Apr 1861 detained in lat. 4� 39' S., long. 39� 28' E., a slave dhow, Name Unknown, 208 tons, which was burnt and the case sent for adjudication to the Cape of Good Hope and sentenced to be condemned.

22 Dec 1863 Portsmouth. Commissioned.

1 Jan to 31 Mar 1864 Irregular or particular service. Medical report : number of Cases of Disease and Injury.

1 Apr to 31 Dec 1864 Cape of Good Hope and East Indies station. Medical report : fever, and brain disease onboard : number of Cases of Disease and Injury.

24 Oct 1864 detained 2 dhows, Names Unknown, in the St. Antonio River, which were destroyed as unseaworthy.

3 Sep 1866 off Cape St. Andrew, Madagascar detained a dhow, Name Unknown, with neither papers or colours with 176 slaves on board, which was destroyed, being unseaworthy, whilst her crew were landed at Boyanna Bay and the negroes at the nearest British settlement.

5 Sep 1866 off Cape St. Andrew, Madagascar.

9 Feb 1867 the ship's boats captured a dhow, Name Unknown, in Port Chak Chak, Pemba Island, with Arab colours, but having false papers and provisions and fitted out for the slave trade, which case was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at Aden. Being unseaworthy the vessel was burnt and the crew landed at Chak Chak, at their own request.

22 Feb 1867 off Waseen.

1 Mar 1867 off Lamoo detained a slave dhow, Name Unknown, without papers or colours with 18 slaves on board, the vessel having been victualled and fitted out for the slave trade. The vessel being deemed unseaworthy she was burnt and the case sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at Aden. The crew were landed at Lamoo and the slaves were taken on board with a view to their being landed at a British settlement.

5 Mar 1867 when in Lamoo Bay the ship's boats detained a dhow, Name Unknown, fitted out for the slave trade and without colours. As the vessel was being boarded the crew left the vessel with their arms and would probably have opened fired had not the Governor intervened. The vessel being deemed unseaworthy she was burnt and the case was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at Aden.

22 Apr 1867 detained at Zanzibar a slave dhow, Name Unknown, with 26 slaves on board, which was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at Aden.

6 Mar 1967 off Lamoo.

1870 Portsmouth