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Friday 29 August 2014

Dutch warships Zr.Ms. Amphitrite, Mercuur and Merwede added to the Guinea-expedition according to the Dutch newspaper Vlissingse Courant dated 27 March 1838

An item reported that in the end of March of begin April the Dutch corvette Zr.Ms. Amphitrite (1) captain lieutenant Tengbergen, brig Zr.Ms. Mercuur (2) captain lieutenant Tuning and the transport Zr.Ms. Merwede (3) 1st lieutenant Stort were to transport the expedition commanded by general Verveer to Guinea [nowadays Guinea] to act against the ‘Hantijnsch’ chief.(4) The ships were to ve fitted out around 20th March.

Notes
1. Flush-decked corvette, on stocks at the navy yard at Vlissingen, Netherlands by C. Soetermeer 1827, launched 22 June 1830, commissioned 16 August 1830, reduced to 20-gun ‘kuil’-corvette 1837, decommissioned November-December 1851 at Curacao due to worse condition and not able to return homewards, sold to be broken up at Curacao 13 April 1852, with as dimensions 39 (between perpendiculars) x 10,5 (inner hull) x 4,10 (fore)-4,70 (aft) x 5,37 (hold below deck) metres and a displacement of <850 tons, an armament consisted of 18 short 30pd guns and 2-12pd guns after 1837 and a crew numbering 300 men (1830).
2. Mercuur or Merkuur, on stocks at the navy yard at Rotterdam, Netherlands 1830 by P. Glavimanss Jz., launched 6 April 1833, docked at the navy yard at Hellevoetsluis, Netherlands 14-19 December 1837&15-19 January 1839, 1-15 September 1849 and finally to be broken on 18 November 1853, dimensions 29,8 (load line) x 9,2 (inner hull) x 3,4 (fore)-4,5 (aft) x 4,5 (hold below maindeck) metres, 546 tons displacement and 18 guns (16-30pd carronades and 2-6pd guns).
3. On stocks at the shipyard of Jan Schouten, Dordrecht, Netherlands 1832, launched 28 July 1835, commissioned 1 March 1838, docked at the navy yard at Hellevoetsluis, Netherlands 19-21 June 1839, 20-22 July 1840, 7-9 April and 13-15 December 1841, 13 July-8 August 1842, 23-29 January and 18-22 September 1845, 15-18 July 1846, for extensive repairs 27 July 1847-26 August 1848, 30 April 1 May 1850, 19 April 1852, 21 August 1854-1- August 1855, 4 August-? 1856, 28 November-9 December 1857, 4-8 January 1858, sale in the Dutch East Indies for an unknown period delayed in 1860, dimensions 33,70 x 9,1 x 3,80 metres, 8 guns.
4. King Bonsoe of the Hanta’s or Ahanta’s. Generaal major Verveer himself died on 22 August 1838 during this expedition. Guinea or Dutch Gold Coast is nowadays Ghana.