Havik (1808 Ship)

''Havik'' was an 8-gun snow of the navy of the Kingdom of Holland, built in Batavia, Dutch East Indies in 1808 or 1809. Dutch colonial authorities purchased her and had her fitted out for naval service in 1809; she then sailed to the Atlantic Ocean. The Royal Navy captured her in 1810. She then sailed to Britain where her new civilian owners named her ''Peter Proctor'', after the British lieutenant who captured her. She traded widely and was last listed in 1845. She brought the first group of coolies from India to Australia in 1837.

''Havik''

The journal of van Willem Veerman, a junior officer serving on ''Havik'', is a little a little unclear about where around Batavia she was built. His journal says, in translation "This ship was built in the town of Lassem, on the north shore of Java near The city of Cheribon. Havik was built as a merchant ship, and now bought for the government and put into service." The main shipyard at Batavia prior to 1806 was Onrust Island; the Royal Navy destroyed the shipyard there in 1800 and again 1806, the latter attack occurring during the Java campaign of 1806–1807. ''Havik'', which had an estimated burthen of 200–250 tons (bm), underwent fitting and provisioning in September 1809. She set out on 20 October, armed with six 3-pounder guns and two 1-pounder swivel guns and crewed by 32 men under Lieutenant J. Steelingh. Rear-Admiral Arnold Adriaan Buyskes and his adjutant also embarked on ''Havik'' as passengers.

On 10 February 1810, the 10-gun British schooner near Bermuda spotted ''Havik'' ''en route'' to Europe. After a seven hour chase, ''Thistle'' caught up with ''Havik'', which hoisted Dutch colours, opened fire, and attempted to ram ''Thistle''. The two vessels exchanged fire for about an hour when ''Havik'', which had a broadside of 10 pounds versus ''Thistle''s broadside of 54 pounds, attempted to sail off. A running engagement ensued, and lasted for four hours until ''Havik'' struck her colours after she had expended all her ammunition. The Dutch suffered one man killed and seven men badly wounded during the engagement, one of the injured being Buyskes, whose left thigh was badly wounded. On ''Thistle'', a marine was killed and seven men were wounded, one of whom was the ship's commander, Lieutenant Peter Proctor. During the initial exchange of fire three of ''Thistle''s carronades were dismounted.

''Thistle'' and ''Havik'' arrived at Bermuda on 20 February. ''Havik'' arrived at Portsmouth from Bermuda on 14 June 1810. Her cargo of indigo and spices was reported to have a value of £40,000.

''Peter Proctor''

''Peter Proctor'', Bouner, master, first appeared in online records when on 30 December 1810 she sailed from Gravesend with the West Indies fleet, bound for St Kitts. After her return in 1811 she sailed for Malta and Smyrna.

On 27 September 1822, ''Peter Proctor'', Brown, master, ran ashore on the lower part of the Knock Sand. She was gotten off after having discharged part of her cargo, and arrived in the Thames. She was returning from St Petersburg with a cargo of tallow and hemp when she grounded. She was stuck for three days, but was gotten off with the assistance of the revenue cutter ''Fox'', Lieutenant St. John, and two fishing vessels. Lieutenant St. John was awarded £120 for the service.

On 26 July 1825, ''Peter Proctor'' was at Dominica when a major hurricane hit the island. The hurricane sank or damaged many vessels there. ''Peter Proctor'' rode out the gale without injury.

On 26 June 1828, ''Peter Proctor'', Black, master, ran aground at Skanör med Falsterbo as she was sailing from London to St Petersburg. She was gotten off. She then put into Carlsham to discharge and effect repairs.

In 1813, the EIC had lost its monopoly on the trade between India and Britain. British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a license from the EIC. On 25 October 1829, ''Peter Proctor'', J.Terry, master, sailed for Mauritius and Covelong under a license from the EIC. In December 1831, she had to put back to Bristol after having sustained damage. She had been sailing to Boston from Bristol when she lost her bulwarks and boats, and sustained other damage. On her return to Bristol she had been out a month."MONMOUTHSHIRE, SOUTH WALES, &c." ''Bristol Mercury'' (Bristol, England), 3 January 1832; Issue 2175.

The EIC gave up its shipping activities in 1833. ''Peter Proctor'' sailed between Britain and India in the early 1830s.

With the ceasing of convict transportation to New South Wales becoming imminent by the late 1830s, the colonists there sought a substitute source of cheap labour. In 1837, a Committee on Immigration identified the possibility of importing coolies from India and China as a solution. John Mackay, an owner of indigo plantations in Bengal and a distillery in Sydney, organised the import of 42 coolies from India who arrived on 24 December 1837, on board ''Peter Proctor''. This was the first sizeable transport of coolie labour into Australia.

Fate

''Peter Proctor'' was last listed in 1846 with data unchanged since 1841.

Notes

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References

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* {{cite journal , last1=van Rees , first1=H.B. , last2=Krijgsman , first2=A.C. , year=2018 , title=Het Journaal van Willem Veerman, tweede episode – Aan boord van Des Koning's schip "de Havik" , journal=Tenanker , volume=1 , issue=25 , language=Dutch , url=https://www.tenanker.com/uploads/1/4/1/3/14135904/4._journaal_willem_veerman__2_.pdf

1800s ships
19th-century naval ships of the Netherlands
Captured ships
Age of Sail merchant ships of England