![]() Basilisk (left) and the merchantmanQueen Anne (right) | |
History | |
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Name | HMSBasilisk |
Ordered | 26 March 1846 |
Builder | Woolwich Dockyard |
Cost | £54,745[1][Note 1] |
Laid down | November 1846 |
Launched | 22 August 1848 |
Commissioned | July 1852 |
Fate | Broken up at Chatham in 1882 |
General characteristics[1] | |
Type | First-classpaddle sloop |
Displacement | 1,710 tons |
Tons burthen | |
Length |
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Beam | 34 ft 0 in (10.4 m) |
Depth of hold | 21 ft 6 in (6.6 m) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Sail plan | Barque |
Complement | 145 |
Armament |
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HMSBasilisk was a first-classpaddle sloop of theRoyal Navy, built at theWoolwich Dockyard and launched on 22 August 1848.[2]
Basilisk was designed by Oliver Lang to the same lines as the screw sloopNiger and ordered on 23 March 1846 from Woolwich Dockyard. She was laid down in November of the same year and launched on 22 August 1848.[1]
She was fitted with paddlewheels driven by a Miller, Ravenhill & Salkeld two-cylinder oscillating steam engine rated at 400nominal horsepower and developing 1,033indicated horsepower (770 kW).[1]
Basilisk was fitted with a single68-pounder (95 cwt) smoothbore muzzle-loading gun on a pivot mount, a single 10-inch (84 cwt) shell gun and four32-pounder (42 cwt) smoothbore muzzle-loading guns on truck mountings.[1]
She participated in 1849 in trials in theEnglish Channel with the screw sloopNiger.Basilisk had started life as her sister ship when both were designed as sailing sloops, but whileNiger received screw propulsion,Basilisk was fitted with paddles.[2] Although previous trials, including a similar comparison betweenRattler andAlecto in 1845, had shown that screw propulsion was broadly superior, the 1849 trials pitted two near-identical ships against each other. Since both ships had the same lines and steam engines developing almost identical power, the results confirmed the superiority of screw propulsion over the paddle-wheel once and for all.[2][3] On 7 April 1853,Basilisk ran aground offSouthsea,Hampshire due to a flag being hoisted showing it was safe to enterPortsmouth Naval Base when there was insufficient water to do so. Two or three of her crew were injured. She was later refloated and taken in to Portsmouth.[4]
After the trials she served in the Baltic Sea during theCrimean War in 1854–1855, participating in the blockade ofCourland. She attacked and sank 10 Russian transports carrying grain on 14 June 1855 and sank some salt boats on 13 July. She also participated in the action of 17 July in theGulf of Riga, withHMS Desperate against Russian gunboats and shore batteries.[2]
After the Crimean War, she served on theNorth America and West Indies Station and afterwards on theChina Station and in Japan.[5] On 27 July 1868, she was driven ashore on the coast ofChina. Repairs cost £1,777.[6]
In March 1871 she commenced service on theAustralia Station under CaptainJohn Moresby. She undertookhydrographic surveys aroundNew Guinea with Captain Moresby.[7] During the survey of the southern coast he discovered the harbour which he named Fairfax after his father. The town established there, based on already existing native villages (principallyHanuabada) was named Port Moresby and is now the nation's capital.[8][9]
She was later used for anti-blackbirding operations in the South Pacific.[2] She visited theEllice Islands in July 1872.[5][10]
She left the Australia Station in 1874 and returned to England.[2]
Basilisk was paid off and broken up at Chatham in 1882.[2]
From the Melbourne Australia Argus July 15. While making these explorations Captain Moresby discovered several fine harbors, two of which were named by him Ports Moresby and Fairfax.