'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎154] (173/622)

154
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
Powell, a new steam frigate of the Indian Navy of the same
class as the ' Sesostris,' arrived at Singapore from England
direct, and proceeded to Hong Kong. Here she found H.M.S.
6 Vindictive,' Captain Nicholson, bearing the flag of Rear-
Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, # who proceeded in her up the
Canton river to join the squadron, consisting of H.M.'s ships
'Nimrod,' 'Cruiser,' and 'Wolverine.' A little later the
4 Akbar,'t steam frigate, constructed at Glasgow, of 1,200 tons,
350 horse-power, and carrying six 8-inch guns, arrived at Hong
Kong, under command of the veteran Captain Pepper, who had
been specially appointed Senior Officer of the Company's ships
serving on the China station. The c Akbar' remained at
Whampoa, as guard-ship, for nine months, and the ' Memnon'
did not get further than Chusan, so that neither of these ships
participated in the subsequent operations of the war, though
the 'Akbar' was engaged with pirates in the Cap Sing Moon
passage.
The fleet of seventy-three men-of-war and transports, was de
tained at Woosung by bad weather and adverse winds, until the
6th of July, on which day they proceeded up the noble Yang-
tze-Kiang (at this point upwards of ten miles from bank to
bank), in the following order
Advanced Squadron. —Surveying. H.M.S. 4 Starling,' six
guns; 'Plover,' six guns; 6 Modeste,' eighteen guns; and
6 Clio,' sixteen guns. Hon. Company's steamers ' Phlegethon'
and 'Medusa.'
General Squadron, — 1st Division. H.M.S. ' Cornwallis,'
seventy-four guns, flagship ; ' Calliope,' twenty-six guns; and
steamer ' Vixen '; transport 6 Marion,' with Sir H. Gough and
staff: and seven other transports.
Second Division, 'Blonde,' forty-four guns. Hon,
Company's steam frigate 'Auckland;' and ten transports.
# Sir Thomas Coclirane succeeded to the command-in-chief of H.M.'s ships on
the return to England of Sir W. Parker on the conclusion of the war.
f The 4 Akhar' and ' Berenice,' which was launched in 1836, were both con
structed by those famous shipbuilders and marine engineers, the Messrs. Robert
Napier and Sons, of Grovan, Glasgow, whose plant and goodwill were sold by
auction in March, 1877. The firm was founded about fifty years ago by Mr.
Hobert Napier, who had previously carried on business as a blacksmith in Grlasgow.
Mr. Napier constructed his first marine engine in 1823, and in 1836 and 1841 he
built the ' Berenice' and ' Akbar.' His first contract for a steamer for Her
Majesty's Government was obtained in 1840. Along with Sir Samuel Ounard,
Mr. Napier projected the celebrated Cunard Line, and built its first ships, to
•which many were added from the same yard. Messrs. Napier and Sous constructed
for the British Navy, the ' Erebus,' ' Black Prince,' ' Hector,' ' Audacious,' ' In
vincible,' ' Hotspur,' and £ Northampton,' all armour-clad vessels, representing a
tonnage of 26,938 tons, the engines representing 5,450 horse-power. One turret
ship was built for the Danish Navy, three of 4000 tons each, with engines of
400-horse power, for the Turkish Government, and two of 3,000 tons and
500-horse power, for the Dutch Government. The firm have in addition supplied
engines to fifty-two vessels of Her Majesty's Navy, and to twenty-nine of Foreign
Governments. They were also extensively employed by private shipowners.