Wolf, 1826
Type: Sloop ; Armament 18
Launched : 1826 ; Disposal date or year : 1878
BM: 454 tons
Notes:

25 May 1827 arrived Spithead with the experimental squadron, having spent a month at sea, during which they performed trials relative to the sailing qualities of the various ships They are ordered to take on stores for foreign service in preparation for a further cruise.

16 Jun 1827 remains at Spithead.

4 Jun 1827 reports received that the Experimental squadron has been performing trials to test the sailing qualities of the various ships of the squadron.

25 Sep 1827 departed Portsmouth with Experimental Squadron for off Scilly.

4 Jun 1828 cruising off Corfu.

11 Sep 1828 refitting at Valletta.

15 Jul 1829 refitting at Valletta.

16 Nov 1829 refitting at Egina.

6 Feb 1830 at Smyrna.

Jul 1830 Portsmouth.

18 Sep 1830 departed Plymouth for Madeira and Rio de Janeiro.

15 Nov 1830 arrived Rio Janeiro, from Portsmouth.

25 Nov 1830 departed Rio de Janeiro, for India.

21 Feb 1831 arrived at Ceylon from Cape of Good Hope.

3 May 1831 departed Batavia for Singapore.

24 Jan 1832 arrived Singapore, from China and departed shortly with despatches for the Supreme Government.

10 Feb 1832 arrived at Calcutta from Lintin.

16 Mar 1832 arrived Trincolmalee from Madras.

17 Apr 1832 a letter received from Trincomalee advises that 2 officers from the ship had been dismissed the service by Court Martial for having attempted to bring the commanding officer into disrepute amongst the junior officers. Lt. Price and acting Surgeon Booth were the officers concerned. The Purser and Master were reported to have been exchanged out of the ship. Per Plymouth Journal, via the Hampshire Telegraph.

22 Apr 1832 was at Trincomalee refitting when the Crocodile departed for England.

2 May 1832 departed Trincomalee for Madras.

12 Jun 1832 is shortly due to depart Madras for the Straits of Malacca to recall the Magicienne.

13 Aug 1832 at Madras with the flag ship Melville, who she will accompany to Trincomalee .

Aug 1832 at Penang.

10 Jan 1833 refitting at Prince of Wales's Island.

5 Jan 1833 arrived Singapore from Penang and departed the 7th for a cruise.

28 Jan 1833 arrived Singapore from Malacca.

17 Feb 1833 arrived Singapore from a cruize.

27 Mar 1833 departed Madras on a cruise of the Bay of Bengal.

20 Apr 1833 arrived Singapore from Malacca and departed the 23rd for a cruise.

8 May 1833 reported to be on a cruise to the north-west.

24 May 1833 arrived Singapore from Anjeer.

30 Jul 1833 arrived Singapore from Malacca.

21 Aug 1833 departed Singapore for Malacca and Penang.

5 Aug 1833 refitting at Trincomalee for her passage home.

16 Sep 1833 arrived Madras from Penang.

19 Sep 1833 departed Madras on a cruise.

Oct 1833 departed Madras for England.

27 Dec 1833 arrived Mauritius from Trincomalee.

22 Jan 1834 arrived Cape of Good Hope from Trincomalee and Mauritius.

21 Apr 1834 arrived Plymouth from the East Indies, put in due to strong winds.

24 May 1834 paid off at Plymouth.

5 Jun 1834 commissioned at Plymouth.

2 Oct 1834 departed Plymouth for the East Indies.

18 Sep 1834 departed Madeira for the Cape of Good Hope.

19 Dec 1834 arrived Cape of Good Hope from Plymouth.

During the first Kaffir War, 1834-35, rendered useful assistance to the military forces. See p. 275 at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow.

23 Dec 1834 departed Cape of Good Hope for Bombay.

31 Aug 1835 is reported to have departed on a cruise.

1 Nov 1835 is reported to have departed for Madras.

16 Jun 1836 is reported to have been cruising in the Straits [of Singapore] looking for Malay pirates where her boats have had a number of skirmishes with the pirates.

3 Jul 1836 arrived Madras recently with 9 persons from the Straits who are being charged with piracy.

29 Jul 1836 arrived Calcutta from Madras.

22 Oct 1836 arrived Singapore from Malacca with the Raleigh.

5 Dec 1836 departed Singapore in search of pirates and thence to Malacca.

11 Feb 1837 departed Singapore on a cruise in search of the pirates which are still said to infest the seas in this area.

27 Feb 1839 arrived Portsmouth from the East Indies, touching at the Cape and Ascension, having been nearly five years in commission.

11 Jun 1841 has been taken into Dock at Plymouth.

25 May 1842 undocked at Plymouth having had her defects made good.

15 Jun 1842 commissioned at Plymouth.

16 Jun 1842 in Plymouth Harbour.

25 Jul 1842 the Mercury arrived Plymouth from Portsmouth with supernumeraries for the Wolf.

30 Jul 1842 went out of Hamoaze into Plymouth Sound, in preparation for her departure to the East Indies, and will be paid the usual advance of wages on Monday, with a view to departing for China on the 4th. She will take out $86,000 in wages for the troops on the station.

5 Aug 1842 departed Plymouth for China.

22 Aug 1842 arrived Madeira, from Plymouth, en route to China.

18 Oct 1842 arrived at the Cape, from England.

1846 China and India Station.

12 Feb 1847 New colony of Labuan - see article below.

1848 Hulk.

20 Dec 1848 Coal depot, Kingston.

1859 Coal hulk.

1860 Coal Depot, Queenstown.

1870 Coal Depot, Queenstown.

The New Colony of the Labuan.
(From the Straits Times, February 12.)
To the kindness of a friend we are indebted for a few items respecting the island. of Labuan ; although somewhat scanty, they are nevertheless acceptable, especially as peculiar care appears to be exercised in keeping us as much as possible in the dark respecting an island which it is thought will prove the el Dorado of the Malayan Archipelago.

H.M.S. Iris and Wolf reached Labuan December 18th, soon after arrival in Victoria Bay, tents were erected on shore and parties sent from H.M S. Iris and Wolf for the purpose of clearing away the jungle at Pasley Point, and erecting a temporary jetty, formed of trunks of trees, which was constructed to run out about 100 yards. The flagstaff was erected at Point Pasley, (named after Sir Thomas Pasley, Bart, R.N.), the top of which is about 100 feet above the sea level ; the base of the flagstaff being about ten feet above high water mark, and situated about 200 yards from the extremity of the point. On a plot of ground being cleared, cocoanuts, several varieties of fruit-trees, vegetable and flower seeds from Singapore, were planted ; they were thriving remarkably well, indeed before the Iris left, the ships were receiving a foretaste of crops of potatoes and other vegetables, which promise soon to be abundant. Some of the officers of both vessels made a tour to the opposite side of the island, penetrating through thick jungle and mangrove swamps, and were enabled to make a survey of the country passed over. The soil is described as luxuriant ; there was some food for the sportsman, comprising enormous wild pigs. snipe, sand-pipers. and others of the winged tribe. On one part of the island, a large extent of ground was found in a partially cleared state, and had evidently been at some distant period under cultivation. A report was current among the natives that the spot alluded to had been cleared by some English settlers who fled from Balambangan in 1775, on their being expelled the latter place by the Sooloos. The shores of Labuan abound with excellent fish, including mullet, pomfret, turtle, &c.

Sometime must elapse ere the jungle is removed ; when that is carried into effect it is impossible to conceive a more fruitful soil, or eligible spot for a tradal as well as naval depot. The officers above mentioned, who passed over the island, are unanimously favourable to the healthfulness of the climate ; the air is more temperate than Singapore, and the atmosphere is free from those violent disturbances experienced at the latter settlement ; while regular land and sea breezes offer amenities not to be lightly esteemed.

As is generally the case at the first establishment of a new settlement, a heavy amount of sickness manifested itself ; it attacked only those who were much exposed during the preliminary operations. Captain Gordon, of H.M.S. Wolf, was seized with fever of so violent a nature as not to yield to the usual remedies he expired on the morning of Wednesday, the 6th of January, and was buried on the evening of the same day. Captain Gordon was deeply respected ; his remains lie interred in the centre of a grove of trees (a short distance from the flagstaff) whose boughs hang over the grave of the first victim to Labuan fever.

The following items supplies us with particulars relative to the erection of the British flag at Labuan, on the afternoon of December 24.

Captain Mundy got upon a platform, previously erected near the flagstaff, and addressed the officers, native princes of Borneo, and others present at the ceremony, in the following terms

"Let it be known to all here assembled, that I take possession of this island. and the islets in its immediate neighbourhood, in the name of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria. To all be it known, that the British Government will protect and encourage tradal intercourse, but will pursue with the utmost vengeance all those found in the capacity of a pirate."

Each sentence was interpreted in, Malayu by Lieutenant Heath, R.N., now commanding H. M S Wolf. Mr. Midshipman Morgan then, by desire of Captain Mundy, raised the British ensign to the flagstaff head, which was followed by three hearty cheers, under a salute from the temporary battery erected on shore, and responded to by the guns of H.M.S. Iris and Wolf, concluded by a feu de joie from marines on shore. Captain Mundy again addressed all assembled around the platform, and remarked:- "The Queen of England and the Sultan of Borneo are now friends : we are now standing on British territory."

The above was interpreted by Lieutenant Heath. Captains Mundy and Gordon then led the way, followed by the officers, chiefs, &c., to a tent near the flagstaff. where was prepared a dejeuner, of which the party partook, and at which the healths of Queen Victoria and the Sultan of Borneo were received with due honour.