Peterel, 1860
Type: Coal Depot, late Sloop ; Armament 11
Laid down : Devonport 5 Dec 1859 ; Launched : 10 Nov 1860 ;
Disposal date or year : 1901
BM: 669 tons ; Displacement: 847 tons
Propulsion: Screw
Machinery notes: 150 h.p.
Notes:

1 Apr 1857 ordered to be built. Commenced building 5th December 1859. The Peterel was originally ordered to be built like Pantaloon, of 577 tons, but in consequence of the decision to lengthen or fine the bows of vessels not too far advanced in building, to admit of its being done without much sacrifice, and to enable vessels of this class to carry the new 32 pounder, 30 cwt. guns, 6 ft. 4 in. in length, instead of the 32 pounder of 25 cwt, 6 feet, as recommended by the Committee on Ordnance, the Peterel, having only a very small proportion of her frame cut out, viz., one-fifth, was ordered to be built of the increased length of 9 feet and increased breadth of 1 ft. 3 in., and of the tonnage of 669 tons, to meet this armament.

The Peterel, being 1 of 10 of the Rosario Class, which also included the Rosario, Royalist, Shearwater, Rapid and Columbine and 4 not named.

1860 Devonport

23 Feb 1862 Devonport. Commissioned.

1864 North America and West Indies Station. Report of fever and VD etc. onboard. Number of Cases of Disease and Injury.

Sep 1866 - Mar 1867 instructed to visit the extreme limits of the Cape of Good Hope Station, on the East and West Coasts, to investigate the state of the slave trade on the Station, which was stated to be extinct, although it was stated in a report from the East Indies station that the trade is still alive in Mozambique.

Jul 1867 in Simon's Bay. Received instructions from Commodore R. Purvis to make arrangements for Mr. Young's party to be transferred from the mail steamer Celt, arrived on the 12th at Table Bay, to the Peterel for their passage to the Zambezi, with their iron boat and baggage.

16 Jul 1867 departed Simon's Bay with Mr. Young and his party, and called in a Algoa Bay on the 18th, but received no news of importance. Proceeded northward to Natal in a wind which had by now increased to gale force. The wind had dropped by the 21st to light winds interspersed with calms and had to raise steam for the next 6-700 miles. arrived off the mouth of the Zambezi River in just over 9 days. arrived off Kongoni, which had changed so much that Mr. Young no longer recognised the entrance to the River, Pearl Island having been washed away. I assume that Kongoni was one of the mouths of the delta for the Zambezi ? A Stoker and 2 Kroomen were lent and checked to the expedition. Mr. Young soon found a party of natives who were prepared to help him and man the boats and so we were able to depart the Zambezi on 27 Jul and had returned to Simon's Town by 15 Aug 1867.

15 Aug 1867 in Simon's Bay.

1870 Devonport

1879 Coast of Ireland ; Light ship to mark the wreck of the 'Vanguard'.

1885 Coal hulk

1890 Coal Depot, Devonport