HMS Naiad (1797) - Later Career

Later Career

From July 1814 to April 1815 Naiad underwent major repairs at Portsmouth. Captain Robert C. Spencer commissioned her in April 1823 for the Channel and the Mediterranean and until August she underwent fitting for sea.

In January 1824, Naiad and Cameleon visited Algiers, following a violation of the British consul's offices, in order to demand satisfaction from the Dey. By 31 January it was apparent that British citizens living in Algiers were no longer safe so they were taken on board. On departing from the harbour, Naiad sighted the Algerine corvette Tripoli, which had recently committed depredations on Spanish trade, in contravention of the Treaty of 1816. Fire from Naiad reduced Tripoli to a wreck. A party from Cameleon boarded Tripoli before Naiad ordered them to abandon the vessel. Captain Spencer of Naiad was particularly pleased to discover that by capturing the Algerine he had liberated 17 Spaniards that were being carried into slavery.

On 18 March Naiad captured Quattro Fratelli . Cambrian shared the prize money.

Then on 23 May at Boma Naiad's boats burnt an Algerine brig of war which had sought refuge under the guns of the fortress there. The brig was armed with 16 guns, some of which had been transferred to the fort. The letter reporting the action makes no mention of casualties.

On 23 February 1825 Naiad captured the Muni. Revenge shared in the prize money.

On 28 May four seamen from Naiad were drowned off the coast of Italy. Naiad's captain had a monument erected for them in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome.

In March 1826 Spencer and Naiad conducted a mission to Ibrahim Pasha, the general in command of the Ottoman forces besieging Missolonghi on the Gulf of Patras. (This was the Third Siege of Missolonghi.) Spencer also informed the Admiralty that the Ottoman forces had captured the town of Anatolica and Fort Vassiladi, and that Missolonghi would probably fall within a week. The town fell on 10 April. Spencer had thought, erroneously as it turned out, that the Ottomans would not slaughter civilian inhabitants.

Naiad left Malta for England in August and was paid off in October 1826. She then underwent a Small Repair between April and July 1828 before being laid up.