HMS Porcupine

Naval Database

Porcupine, 1807
Type: ; Armament 22
Launched : 1807 ; Disposal date or year : 1816
Notes:

7 Oct 1807 ship's boats capture a guard boat and the Venetian gun-boat Safo ; the latter, along with other prizes were subsequently destroyed due to bad weather.

27-29 Nov 1807 ship's boats captured 2 small vessels out of the port of Ragusa ; destroyed a number of vessels and captured one in the harbour of Zuliano ; and whilst returning from the above enterprise captured a further vessel carrying arms and equipment for a battery.

23 Feb 1808 off Corfu observed the arrival of a French Squadron under M. Ganteaume. The following day fell in with the Active, and until the 13 Mar, watched the movements of the French.

23 Jun 1808 whilst cruising off Civita-Vecchia destroyed a vessel which had run herself on shore in order to escape the Porcupine.

9 Jul 1808 becalmed off Monte-Circello on the coast of Romania sent the ship's boats off after a French convoy, which escaped by sheltering under a shore battery.

10 Jul 1808 ship's boats cut out a large French polacre ship sheltering under a shore battery.

21 Jul 1808 ship's boats drove on shore and destroyed a French polacre ship near Monte-Circello.

8 Aug 1808 chased the polacre ship Concepcion into a harbour of the island of Planosa which was subsequently cut out by the ship's boats.

Portsmouth 15 Jan 1810 departed with a convoy to the Cape of Good Hope and the Brazils.

Plymouth Dock 19 Sep 1811 arrived from the Brazils.

Portsmouth 23 Sep 1811 arrived with specie, from the Brazils.

Plymouth 24 Sep 1811 departed for Portsmouth, lately from Brazil, with jewels on account of the Prince Regent of Portugal.

Portsmouth 10 Feb 1812 departed on a cruise.

Portsmouth 23 Feb 1812 arrived from a cruise.

Portsmouth 24 Feb 1812 departed.

Portsmouth 4 Mar 1812 arrived from off Havre and Cherbourg.

Portsmouth 17 Apr 1812 Takes convoy for Portugal, Gibraltar, and the Mediterranean.

Portsmouth 11 Aug 1812 departed with a convoy for North America.

Portsmouth 18 Mar 1813 departed the outward convoy for Brazil and the East Indies.

Portsmouth 10 Oct 1813 arrived with a convoy from the Brazils.

Portsmouth 3 Dec 1813 departed with a convoy for the North coast of Spain.

Passages 25 Dec 1813 Remains.

Feb 1814 officers and men of the Porcupine, Lyra, Woodlark, and Martial involved in operations off the mouth of and in the river Adour.

21 Mar 1814 the Porcupine, who had ascended the Gironde above Pouillac, detached his boats in pursuit of a French flotilla capturing and destroying a number of vessels.

Passages 17 Mar 1814 Remains.

Poliac 31 May 1814 At anchor.

Plymouth 6 Sep 1814 arrived from Bordeaux.

Plymouth 29 Oct 1814 departed on a cruise.

Plymouth 4 Nov 1814 Sails to the Coast of Africa, and thence to the Cape of Good Hope.

Sierra Leone 29 Apr 1815 arrived.

Deal 16 Oct 1815 arrived and departed for the river to be paid off.

Woolwich 6 Nov 1815 Has been paid off and laid up in ordinary.

On the 7th of October, 1807, in the evening, the British 22-gun ship Porcupine, Captain the Honourable Henry Duncan, having chased a trabacculo (one of the many variously rigged small vessels employed in the Mediterranean), into Zupiano, a harbour of the small island of that name in the Adriatic, despatched her cutter and jollyboat, under the orders of Lieutenant George Price, first of the ship, assisted by Lieutenant Francis Smith, to endeavour to bring the vessel out. As the two boats were rounding the point which forms the entrance of the harbour, a gun-boat, under the Italian flag, opened a fire of round and grape upon them. Observing this Captain Duncan recalled the boats ; but, as soon as it was dark, detached them again to attack the gun-vessel.

Having taken a guard-boat, sent by the latter to look out for them, mounting a 4-pounder swivel, and manned with French soldiers, the boats pushed on for the gun-vessel ; which, expecting the attack, had moored herself to the shore with four cables. In spite of this preparation, and of a heavy fire of grape and musketry opened upon them, Lieutenant Price and his party gallantly boarded and captured the Venetian gun-boat Safo, mounting one long 24-pounder and several large swivels, and commanded by Anthonio Ghega, enseigne de vaisseau, with a crew of 50 men, most of whom leaped overboard. This very gallant enterprise was executed with so slight a loss as one seaman and one marine wounded.

On the 27th of November Lieutenant Price, in the cutter of the Porcupine, then cruising between Ragusa and the island of Curzola, captured two small vessels from the first-named port, under a fire of musketry from the shore, by which one of his men was wounded.

On the 29th the same enterprising officer went with the boats into the harbour of Zuliano, and destroyed a number of small vessels, together with the wine that was in the magazines for the use of the French troops. A trabacculo, laden with wood, was the only vessel afloat in the harbour, and she was brought out.

While the boats were returning, another trabacculo was seen coming down. The Porcupine gave chase ; but Lieutenant Price, anticipating the wishes of his captain, pulled to windward and captured the vessel. She proved to be from Ragusa bound to Curzola, having on board stores of every description for guns and mortars, two 62 inch brass mortars, two 51 inch brass howitzers, four new 18-pounder gun-carriages, plank and every material for constructing a battery on the island to which she was bound, and a great quantity of shot and shells. Both this and the former service were performed without a casualty.