'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎150] (169/622)

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150
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
consisted of Her Majesty's 98tli 5 with artillery, and several
regiments of Madras Native Infantry ; Her Majesty's ships
4 Vindictive/ fifty guns; 4 Thalia' and 6 Endymion,'forty-four
guns 4 Cambrian,'thirty-six guns; 6 North Star,' twenty-six
guns ; 6 Dido,' twenty guns ; 4 Pelican' and 4 Harlequin,'
eighteen guns ; 4 Childers,' 4 Clio,' 4 Hazard/ 4 Wanderer,'
4 Serpent/ and 4 Wolverine/ sixteen guns ; 4 Chameleon,' ten
guns; steamer 4 Vixen/ eight guns. Also, the Indian Navy
steamers, 'Auckland/ Commander R. Ethersey ; 4 Ariadne,'
Lieutenant J. Roberts ; and 4 Medusa/ Lieutenant H. H.
Hewett ; and the Bengal Marine steamers, 4 Tenasserim,'
4 Hooghly/ 4 Pluto/ and 4 Proserpine.'
After the necessary delay in destroying the batteries, maga
zines, and other public buildings at Chapoo, the troops were
re-embarked, and the Expedition quitted that port on the 28th
of May. On the 8th of June the fleet rendezvoused off the
Amherst Rocks, when steps were taken to define the shoals on
the north side of the channel leading into the Yang-tse-kiang
river. This point was not reached, however, without the
occurrence of a serious accident to the 4 Ariadne/ a new flat-
bottomed steamer of the Indian Navy, which had recently joined
the fleet under the command of Lieutenant J. Roberts. The
4 Ariadne' struck on the point of a rock, # before unknown, and,
a hole being knocked in her bottom, the engine-room compart-
mejit was speedily filled with water. Lieutenant Roberts
promptly got a sail under her bottom, and, having received
assistance from the squadron, the leak was sufficiently stopped
to enable her to be towed to Chusanf by the 4 Sesostris,' which
then returned to the fleet.
The weather continued too thick for the ships to break
ground until the 13th of June, when the 4 Cornwallis/ 4 Blonde/
4 Columbine/ 4 Medusa/ 4 Phlegethon,' and 4 Tenasserim,' joined
the 4 Modeste' at the anchorage off Woosung, a distance of
thirty miles, whither she had proceeded, in company with the
4 Nemesis' and Pluto/ to intercept any communication with
that place. At the point where the river Woosung joins the
Yang-tze-kiang, the banks were lined with strong batteries,
the western side, between the cities of Paoushan and Woosung,
presenting for three miles an uninterrupted fortified embank
ment, mounting one hundred and thirty-four guns. Again, on
the opposite bank of a creek bounding the latter city, the
Chinese had constructed a semi-circular battery, mounting ten
* Tliis rock, wMcli is a-wasb. at low water, but had four or five feet of water
on it at the time of the accident, is now known as the " Ariadne rock."
f The 'Ariadne' was doomed to misfortune. On her arrival at Chusan sne
was run ashore for repairs, and was set afloat on the night of June 23, when sne
slid off a mud bank and sunk in ten fathoms of water, and the officers and crew
escaped with their lives though three Chinamen perished. The vessel was irre
coverably lost as it was found impossible to raise her.