.jpg) HMSFlying Fish | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Flying Fish |
| Namesake | Flying Fish |
| Builder | Chatham Dockyard |
| Laid down | 1872 |
| Launched | 27 November 1873 |
| Completed | June 1874 |
| Decommissioned | 1886 |
| Renamed | FromDaring, 14 January 1873 |
| Reclassified | Assurvey ship, 1878 |
| Fate | Sold forscrap, December 1888 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Fantome-classsloop |
| Displacement | 949 long tons (964 t) |
| Tons burthen | 727bm |
| Length | 160 ft (48.8 m) (p/p) |
| Beam | 31 ft 4 in (9.6 m) |
| Draught | 14 ft (4.3 m) |
| Depth | 15 ft 6 in (4.7 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 1 shaft; 1 × 2-cylinder horizontalcompound-expansion steam engine |
| Sail plan | Barque rig |
| Speed | 10knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Range | 1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 125 |
| Armament |
|
HMSFlying Fish was aFantome-classsloop of theRoyal Navy, built atChatham Dockyard and launched on 27 November 1873.[1] Originally intended to be namedDaring, she was renamedFlying Fish before launch on 14 January 1873.
She commenced service with theEast Indies Station in 1874 in the suppression of the slave trade off theEast African coast.[1] Shepaid off in 1878 for conversion to a survey vessel and in 1880 commenced hydrographic surveys in the East Indies. In December 1880 she arrived inHong Kong to commence surveying duties in East Asia (on theChina Station) under the command of Richard F Hoskyn.[2] In November 1881, inKobe, Japan, a party of sailors from the ship formed an honour guard forGeorge French, Chief Justice of theBritish Supreme Court for China and Japan who had died in that city.[3]
In July 1882,Flying Fish was involved in the rescue of the Japanese legation which had escaped from Seoul after anarmed uprising by mutinous Korean troops there.[4]Flying Fish transported the surviving members of the legation back to Japan. On 17 November, for his part in rescuing the survivors, theEmperor of Japan presented the captain with a pair of bronze vases and some books – including one on the ancient conquest of Korea.[5]
It is commonly said, though unproven, that the British sailors on this mission played the first game offootball or soccer in Korean history and thereby introduced the game to Korea.[6]
From 1883 to 1887, she was under the command ofJohn Maclear. During the Russian war scare of 1885, she was rearmed and rejoined fleet duties. However in 1886, she reverted to survey duties on theAustralia Station.[1] She left the Australia Station later in 1886 and returned to England where she paid off. She was sold in 1888.[1]
Flying Fish Cove onChristmas Island is named after her.[7] During the visit to this island collections of animal specimens were made by the crew. This collection was reviewed in England and new species were described, including a previously unknown fruit bat species,Pteropus natalis, that is only found on the island.[8]
A species of snake,Ramphotyphlops exocoeti, is named after her ("exocet" means "flying fish").[9]