Pearl, 1855
Type: Corvette ; Armament 21
Launched Woolwich : 13 Sep 1855 ; Disposal date or year : 1884
BM: 1469 tons ; Displacement: 2187 tons
Propulsion: Screw
Machinery notes: 1390 hpi 400 hp
Notes:

21 Dec 1855 Commissioned.

26 Feb 1856 Naval Cadet Tinling ; at Woolwich

23 Apr 1856 Present at Fleet Review, Spithead ; Captain Sotheby, prior to preparing for foreign service.

30 May 1856 departed for the Pacific, calling at Madeira and Rio, arriving Valparaiso in Sept.

19 Jun 1857 arrived Hongkong from coast of South America and the Sandwich Islands.

10 Jul 1857 Hongkong. Left the station for Singapore and Calcutta.

11 Sep 1857 175 officers and men formed a brigade which operated ashore during the Mutiny with the Gurkhas and Sikhs providing artillery support.

11 Jan 1858, the Naval Brigade of the Pearl involved in event at Satassee, where they earned prize money for the capture of booty.

Feb 1858 naval brigade returned to Calcutta and ship departed for Madras.

6 Jun 1858 arrived Spithead from Trincomalee, Cape of Good Hope (12 Apr.), and St. Helena.

22 Sep 1859 is at King's Stairs, in Portsmouth Harbour, preparing to swing her compasses.

9 Oct 1859 reported to be with the Fleet in Plymouth Sound.

10 Oct 1859 departed from Plymouth for the China Station.

15 Mar 1860 arrived Hongkong from Portsmouth.

30 Mar 1860 Hongkong.

25 Apr 1860 At the North.

7 Jun 1860 Chusan.

23 Jun 1860 At the North.

26 Jul 1860 Gulf of Pechelee.

16 Nov 1860 At the North.

31 Dec 1860 Hongkong.

1 Apr 1861 Swatow.

12 May 1861 Hongkong.

14 Feb 1862 arrived Shanghai from Hong Kong. �

24 Feb 1862 Departed for Chefoo.

9 Apr 1862 Shanghai.

12 Apr 1862 Captain Borlase C.B. and 72 HMS Pearl blujackets reported to have seen action together in combined force of 2,108 men including Ward's EVA at Wong Ka-dza against Taiping rebels. �

17 Apr 1862 Captain Borlase C.B. and HMS Pearl blujackets in action together with Ward's EVA at Chao-poo on Pootung peninsula against Taiping rebels. Borlase, Sr Officer on Station, took command of naval contingent of combined force in place of Adm. Sir James Hope K.C.B (wounded in action at Wong Ka-dza, 12 Apr, 1862). �

26 May 1862 Captain Borlase C.B. pallbearer at funeral of French Rear Admiral August Leopold Protet (killed in action at Nan-jao on 17 May, 1862). �

27 Jun 1862 Departed for Yokohama

. 12 Jul 1862 Japan.

13 Aug 1862 Shanghai.

23 Aug 1862 Captain Borlase C.B reported in action against Taiping rebels near Shanghai. �

. 28 Aug 1862 - 15 Dec 1862 Shanghai and remains.

3 Dec 1862 - 7 Dec 1862 Captain Borlase C.B accompanied field force of 900 men supporting Royal Engineer survey of country within 30-mile radius around Shanghai. �

1 Jan to 18 June 1864 China station. Medical report : fever, and measles onboard : number of Cases of Disease and Injury.

18 June 1864 Paid off.

19 Jun 1869 To Madeira. Flying Squadron, World Cruise, Particular Service.

2 Jul 1869 Left Madeira for Bahia

2 Aug 1869 arrived Bahia

4 Aug 1869 Left Bahia for Rio de Janeiro

16 Aug 1869 arrived Rio de Janeiro

25 Aug 1869 Left Rio de Janeiro for Montevideo

6 Sep 1869 arrived Montevideo

12 Sep 1869 Left Montevideo for Cape of Good Hope

1 Oct 1869 arrived Cape of Good Hope

12 Oct 1869 Left Cape of Good Hope for Melbourne

20 Nov 1869 arrived Melbourne

7 Dec 1869 Left Melbourne for Sydney

12 Dec 1869 arrived Sydney

26 Dec 1869 Left Sydney for Hobart Town

2 Jan 1870 arrived Hobart Town

10 Jan 1870 Left Hobart Town for Lyttleton

19 Jan 1870 arrived Lyttleton

22 Jan 1870 Left Lyttleton for Wellington

24 Jan 1870 arrived Wellington

27 Jan 1870 Left Wellington for Auckland

2 Feb 1870 arrived Auckland

9 Feb 1870 Left Auckland for Yokohama

6 Apr 1870 arrived Yokohama and departed the Flying Squadron, remaining on station in place of the Barrosa.

1879 Portsmouth

� North China Herald, with many thanks to James F. Landers.