Colonial Despatches

The HMS termagantTermagant was 64 m long wooden screw-frigate with 24 guns.1 According to this despatch, the screw frigate termagantTermagant was to accompany two gun boats, presumably the forwardForward and the grapplerGrappler, from St. Vincent to the service of West Coast waters, in 1859. The termagantTermagant, however, was destined for the general service at the Station at the River Plate, or Río de la Plata, on the eastern coast of Argentina.

Akrigg and Akrigg write that after the termagantTermagant delivered the HMS forwardForward, and HMS grapplerGrappler to Esquimalt, it was dispatched for a tour of the Gulf Islands to Burrard Inlet with HMS plumperPlumper, when it was caught in the tiderips and damaged its copper sheathing, and planking, and was freed from the rocks with several trees still caught in its rigging.2 The damage was so severe that it could not be fully repaired in Nanaimo and was forced to head for a drydock at San Francisco, still leaking rather badly.3

In this despatch, the termagantTermagant is mentioned as being moored in Esquimalt Harbour, along with the vessels gangesGanges, satelliteSatellite, topazeTopaze, alertAlert, and plumperPlumper, as well as the gunboats grapplerGrappler and forwardForward.

• 1. Peter Davis, Termagant, William Loney RN—Ships.
• 2. G. P. V. Akrigg and H. B. Akrigg, British Columbia Chronicle, 1847-1871 (Victoria: Discovery Press, 1977), 202.
• 3. Ibid.