HMS Buffalo (1797) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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|---|---|
 Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Buffalo |
| Builder | John Dudman, Deptford, London |
| Launched | 3 November 1797 |
| Acquired | 16 August 1797 |
| In service | 1797 |
| Out of service | 1814 |
| Fate | Sold 1817 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 462 66⁄94 (bm) |
| Length |
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| Beam | 31 ft (9.4 m) |
| Depth of hold | 13 ft 2 in (4.01 m) |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Complement | 33 |
| Armament | 10 × 6-pounder guns |
HMS Buffalo was a special kind of ship called a storeship. The Royal Navy bought her while she was still being built in 1797. She was used for many years to carry important supplies and people, and then she was sold in 1817.
Contents
Voyages to Australia and Beyond
In 1797, William Raven became the commander of HMS Buffalo. His first big trip was from England all the way to New South Wales, which is in Australia.
The Buffalo reached Port Jackson (a harbor in New South Wales) in April 1799. She was carrying cattle from the Cape of Good Hope (in South Africa). She made another trip to the Cape and brought back more cattle in April 1800.
In October 1800, the ship sailed back to England. This time, William Kent was her commander. On this journey, the Buffalo carried some important passengers. These included Captain John Hunter, who used to be the governor of New South Wales, and Eliza Kent, who was William Kent's wife, along with their three children. The ship also carried two black swans and three emus, which are Australian animals. All five animals made it safely to England!
From a place called Saint Helena, the Buffalo helped escort a small group of ships that were coming from the East Indies.
More Trips to Australia
Under Captain Kent, the Buffalo sailed from England back to Australia, arriving with more supplies in October 1802. She then left in April 1803, heading for Bengal (a region in India).
Captain Kent and the Buffalo returned from Bengal with more cattle, arriving in Australia in June 1804.
Around 1803 and 1804, the ship visited New Caledonia. In 1804, the Buffalo helped set up a new settlement called George Town, Tasmania. This settlement was started by William Paterson. Eliza Kent's travels on the Buffalo were even written about in a British magazine later on!
In 1805, John Oxley commanded the Buffalo. In February 1807, the ship left Port Jackson for England one last time.
A War and a Seizure
In October 1807, the ruler of Russia, Tsar Alexander I of Russia, declared war on Great Britain. When the news reached Britain in December, the British government stopped all Russian ships in their ports.
The Buffalo was one of about 70 ships that shared in the money from seizing two Russian ships. These were a large warship called the Speshnoy and a storeship named Wilhelmina. Both Russian ships were in Portsmouth harbor and were carrying money for a Russian naval fleet.
End of Service
In 1814, the Buffalo was turned into a hulk. A hulk is an old ship that can no longer sail and is used for storage or as a floating prison.
The Royal Navy offered the "Buffalo sloop" for sale in April 1817. She was sold on April 30, 1817, for £810 to a person named Mr. Spartly.
See also
- John Lewin, who wanted to sail to Sydney on Buffalo in 1798 but missed the ship, even though his wife was on board.
- Garnham Blaxcell, who was working on the Buffalo when she arrived in Sydney in October 1802.
- Charles Robbins, who served on Buffalo as a young officer in 1802.
