HMS Dryad was a 4-gun Amazon-class

Amazon class sloop

The Amazon class was a class of six screw sloops of wooden construction built for the Royal Navy between 1865 and 1866.-Design:Designed by Edward Reed, the Royal Navy Director of Naval Construction, they were equipped with a ram bow...

 screw sloop

Screw sloop

A screw sloop is a propeller-driven sloop-of-war. In the 19th century, during the introduction of the steam engine, ships driven by propellers were differentiated from those driven by paddle-wheels by referring to the ship's screws...

, launched at Devonport

HMNB Devonport

Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...

 in 1866. She served on the East Indies and North American Stations, taking part in the Abyssinian War, a confrontation with the French at Tamatave and the
Egyptian War. She was sold for breaking in 1885.

Design

Designed by Edward Reed

Edward James Reed

Sir Edward James Reed , KCB, FRS, was a British naval architect, author, politician, and railroad magnate. He was the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy from 1863 until 1870...

, the Royal Navy Director of Naval Construction

Director of Naval Construction

The Director of Naval Construction was a senior British civil servant post in the Admiralty, that part of the British Civil Service that oversaw the Royal Navy. The post existed from 1860 to 1966....

, the hull was built of oak, with teak planking and decks, and she was equipped with a ram bow.

Propulsion

Propulsion was provided by a two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine by Ravenhill, Salkeld & Company driving a single 15 ft (4.6 m) screw.

Armament

The class was designed with two 7 inches (177.8 mm), 6½-ton muzzle loading rifled guns mounted on slides on centre-line pivots, and two 64-pounder muzzle loading rifled guns on broadside trucks. Dryad, Nymphe and Vestal were rearmed in the early 1870s with an armament of nine 64-pounder muzzle loading rifled guns, four each side and a centre-line pivot mount at the bow.

1866 - 1868

Dryads keel was laid in April 1865, and she was launched on 25 September 1866. Her first Captain was Commander Thomas Fellowes

Thomas Hounsom Butler Fellowes

Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Hounsom Butler Fellowes, KCB was an officer in the Royal Navy during the Victorian era.-Life:Born in 1827 to the physician James Fellowes , he joined the Royal Navy and achieved the rank of rear admiral. He lived at Woodfield Park, Stevenage and died in 1923 at the...

, who took command on 3 May 1867, and under whom she formed part of the East Indies Fleet

East Indies Station

The East Indies Station was a formation of the British Royal Navy from 1865 to 1941.From 1831 to 1865 the East Indies and the China Station were a single command known as the East Indies and China Station...

.

Abyssinian War (1868)

In 1868, the ship's company of Dryad took part in the Abyssinian War

1868 Expedition to Abyssinia

The British 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia was a punitive expedition carried out by armed forces of the British Empire against the Ethiopian Empire...

. A Naval Brigade

Naval Brigade

A Naval Brigade is a body of sailors serving in a ground combat role to augment land forces.-Royal Navy:Within the Royal Navy, a Naval Brigade is a large temporary detachment of Royal Marines and of seamen from the Royal Navy formed to undertake operations on shore, particularly during the mid- to...

, composed of 80 men from several ships, was landed at Zula

Zula

Zula is a small town in central Eritrea. It is situated near the head of Annesley Bay , on the Red Sea coast...

 on 25 January, and was placed under the command of Commander Fellowes. They were armed with 12-pound rockets, which were ideally suited to operations in the rugged terrain of Abyssinia. William Simpson

William Simpson (artist)

William Simpson was a Scottish artist, war artist and correspondent.-Early years:Born into poverty in Glasgow on 28 October 1823, Simpson went on to become one of the leading 'special artists' of his day, and sketched many scenes of war for the Illustrated London News...

 of the Illustrated London News

Illustrated London News

The Illustrated London News was the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper; the first issue appeared on Saturday 14 May 1842. It was published weekly until 1971 and then increasingly less frequently until publication ceased in 2003.-History:...

 reported that The Brigade marched inland, and joined the main force under Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Napier

Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala

Field Marshal Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala, GCB, GCSI, CIE, FRS was a British soldier.-Early life:...

, the Commander-in-Chief

Commander-in-Chief

A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...

 at Santara on 30 March. The "Blue Jackets" rendered valuable service during the action at Arogye on 10 April, where they led the attack up the King’s Road.

On 13 April, they took part in the assault

Battle of Magdala

The Battle of Magdala was fought in April 1868 between British and Abyssinian forces at Magdala, from the Red Sea coast, which at that time was the capital city of Abyssinia...

 and capture of Magdala

Amba Mariam

Amba Mariam is a village in central Ethiopia. It was known as Magdala or Meqdela during the reign of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia...

, throwing rockets into the town. The Brigade sustained no casualties at Magdala, and behaved admirably, earning the warm praise of the Commander-in-Chief. By 10 June, the campaign was over and the British forces had re-embarked at Zula.

Commander Philip Howard Colomb

Philip Howard Colomb

Vice-Admiral Philip Howard Colomb, RN . Born in Knockbrex, near Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, he was a Royal Navy officer, historian, critic and inventor. He was the son of General GT Colomb...

 relieved Fellows as Captain of Dryad on 6 July 1868, Commander Fellows apparently being invalided out of the ship. Shortly afterwards, on 14 August, Commander Fellowes was promoted to Post-Captain

Post-Captain

Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...

 for his services. "Abyssinia (1868)" constitutes the second battle honour

Battle honour

A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....

 awarded to Dryad: the first, "Proserpine

HMS Amelia (1796)

Proserpine was a 38-gun Hébé-class frigate of the French Navy captured by on 13 June 1796. The Admiralty commissioned Prosperine into the Royal Navy as the fifth rate, HMS Amelia...

 (1796)", was in herited from the first ship named .

Anti-Slavery on the East Indies Station (1868 - 1872)

Dryad continued to serve on the East Indies Station until 1872. Under Colomb she worked in and around the Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

, Oman

Oman

Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...

 and Zanzibar

Zanzibar

Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...

, engaged in the suppression of slavery. Colomb's experiences are captured in his book Slave-catching in the Indian Ocean: A record of naval experiences, published by Longman

Longman

Longman was a publishing company founded in London, England in 1724. It is now an imprint of Pearson Education.-Beginnings:The Longman company was founded by Thomas Longman , the son of Ezekiel Longman , a gentleman of Bristol. Thomas was apprenticed in 1716 to John Osborn, a London bookseller, and...

s of London in 1873. He captured seven slave ships during his two years in the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

, and returned to Britain a lionised figure, courted by the press.

Commander George Parsons relived Colomb on 11 April 1870 and commanded Dryad until 26 April 1872.

Out of commission (1872 - 1874)

Dryad’s first commission ended on 26 April 1872, when Commander Parsons left her in Devonport. Normal practice of the time was for the ship's company to leave the ship upon decommissioning, with the exception of a few specialists, including the shipwright and gunner, who would have been accommodated in another vessel. The dockyard would have taken her in hand for a refit, and she would have recommissioned, with a new captain and crew, on completion.

North American and West Indies Station (1874 - 1879)

Commander Compton Edward Domvile

Compton Edward Domvile

Admiral Sir Compton Edward Domvile GCB GCVO was a distinguished Royal Navy officer in the Edwardian era.-Birth:Compton Domvile was born on 10 October 1842 to Henry Barry Domvile and Frances Domvile...

 re-commissioned Dryad on 13 August 1874 and took her to the North America and West Indies Station. Domville, who went on to become Admiral Sir Compton Domville, was promoted to Captain on 27 March 1876. He was relieved in 1877 by Commander John Edward Stokes, who commanded her until 14 December 1877.

Out of commission (1877 - 1879)

From 1877 to 1879 she was out of commission at Devonport. Her Chief Engineer and Carpenter were
carried on the books of . During this period her armament was changed from a mixture of 7-inch and 64-pounder muzzle loading rifled guns to nine 64-pounder muzzle loading rifled guns.

East Indies Station (1879 - 1882)

Commander John Hext joined Dryad on 18 December 1879, and commanded her in the East Indies Station until 30 June 1882. He was succeeded as Captain by Commander Charles Johnstone.

Tamatave (1883)

On 15 February 1883, François Césaire de Mahy, who was a Réunion

Réunion

Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...

 deputy and French Minister of Agriculture

Minister of Agriculture (France)

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fishing of France is the governmental body charged with regulation and policy, for agriculture, fisheries, forestry and food.The department is headquartered in Hotel Villeroy, at No...

 (and at the time also temporarily filled the post of Minister of Marine), ordered Rear Admiral Pierre to enforce French claims in Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

, starting the first Franco-Hova War

Franco-Hova War

The Franco-Hova Wars consisted of French military interventions in Madagascar between 1883 and 1896 that overthrew the ruling monarchy of the Merina Kingdom, and resulted in Madagascar becoming a French colony...

. Pierre's squadron arrived at Tamatave

Toamasina

Toamasina , meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French also Tamatave, is a city on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of its capital and biggest city Antananarivo, near the centre of the eastern coast...

 on 31 May to find Dryad already anchored in the roadstead

Roadstead

A roadstead is a place outside a harbor where a ship can lie at anchor. It is an enclosed area with an opening to the sea, narrower than a bay or gulf. It has a surface that cannot be confused with an estuary. It can be created artificially by jetties or dikes...

. The French delivered an ultimatum to the foreign consuls to withdraw, but Mr Pakenham, the British consul, was already a seriously ill man; seven hours after the ultimatum was delivered he died of his illness. Commander Johnstone, already intending to protect the interests of British residents, readily took on the duty of consul. As well as the inevitable damage and distress caused in the bombardment, further controversy was added when Admiral Pierre arrested an Englishman:
Admiral Pierre took possession of Tamatave on 11 June, and a standoff ensued between the two navies. On 16 July, the New York Times was able to report that In Britain, the press railed against 'French atrocities' and in France the equally virulent media insisted that the British were too inclined to exceed their rights as neutrals. Coming at the same time as a French expedition to Indochina, and seeking to maintain cordial relations, the issues were downplayed by both governments. On 14 August, Admiral Galiber sailed from Toulon

Toulon

Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....

 to relieve Pierre, arriving in Madagsacar in October. The French intervention in Madagascar had moved the region towards French domination, but it was not until 1895 that the entire island came under their control. Much of the reason for this ten-year delay is the delaying tactics of Commander Johnstone; as well as being hailed for his tact and heroism by the British press, he was promoted to Captain on 21 November. He left Dryad in January 1884.

Egyptian War (1884)

Commander Edward Grey Hulton took command in January 1884, and under his command some of her ship's company formed part of the Naval Brigade which accompanied the army under General Sir Gerald Graham

Gerald Graham

Lieutenant General Sir Gerald Graham, VC GCB GCMG was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life:He was born in Acton, Middlesex, and after studying at...

. The Naval contingent consisted of 150 seamen and 400 Royal Marines

Royal Marines

The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...

. They came from a number of ships lying off Suakin

Suakin

Suakin or Sawakin is a port in north-eastern Sudan, on the west coast of the Red Sea. In 1983 it had a population of 18,030 and the 2009 estimate is 43, 337.It was formerly the region's chief port, but is now secondary to Port Sudan, about 30 miles north. The old city built of coral is in ruins...

 which joined others at Trinkitat to offload the Expeditionary Force.

After marching inland, the Brigade took part in the battle of El Teb. It was at this battle that Captain Arthur Knyvet Wilson

Arthur Knyvet Wilson

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson VC, GCB, OM, GCVO was an English Admiral and briefly First Sea Lord who was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the war in Sudan...

 of earned the Victoria Cross

Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

 for his conspicuous bravery in fighting with his fists, and saving one corner of the British square from being broken. After the battle of El Teb, the General Commanding issued a general order in which he especially thanked the Naval Brigade for their cheerful endurance during the severe work of dragging the guns over difficult country, and for their ready gallantry and steadiness under fire. On 11 March, the Naval Brigade advanced from Suakin with the troops for the dispersal of the Arab forces who were beleaguering Sinkat.

On 12 March, the expeditionary force took part in the Battle of Tamai

Battle of Tamai

The Battle of Tamai took place on March 13, 1884 between a British force under Sir Gerald Graham and a Mahdist Sudanese army led by Osman Digna....

. The Naval Brigade charged the Arabs, was surrounded, and lost their guns. Order was at length restored, and the Naval Brigade, advancing again, had the satisfaction of regaining all their guns; the Arab forces retired after suffering a loss of 2,000 killed. The total British loss was 109 killed and 104 wounded, of which the Naval Brigade lost 3 officers and 7 men killed, and 1 officer and 6 seamen wounded. Among the killed was Lieutenant Houston Stewart of Dryad, who died while defending the guns

Decommissioning and fate

Dryad was decommissioned for the last time at Sheerness

Sheerness

Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....

 in November 1884. She was sold in September 1885 and broken up in April 1886.

Commanding officers

From	To	Captain
3 May 1867	6 July 1868	Commander Thomas Hounsom Butler Fellowes Thomas Hounsom Butler Fellowes Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Hounsom Butler Fellowes, KCB was an officer in the Royal Navy during the Victorian era.-Life:Born in 1827 to the physician James Fellowes , he joined the Royal Navy and achieved the rank of rear admiral. He lived at Woodfield Park, Stevenage and died in 1923 at the...
6 July 1868	11 April 1870	Commander Philip Howard Colomb Philip Howard Colomb Vice-Admiral Philip Howard Colomb, RN . Born in Knockbrex, near Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, he was a Royal Navy officer, historian, critic and inventor. He was the son of General GT Colomb...
11 April 1870	26 April 1872	|Commander George Parsons
26 April 1872	13 August 1874	|Out of commission (Plymouth)
13 August 1874	1877	|Commander Compton Edward Domvile Compton Edward Domvile Admiral Sir Compton Edward Domvile GCB GCVO was a distinguished Royal Navy officer in the Edwardian era.-Birth:Compton Domvile was born on 10 October 1842 to Henry Barry Domvile and Frances Domvile...
1877	14 December 1877	|Commander John Edward Stokes
14 December 1877	|18 December 1879	|Out of commission (Plymouth)
18 December 1879	30 June 1882	|Commander John Hext John Hext Rear-admiral Sir John Hext KCIE was a British Royal Navy officer and director of the Royal Indian Marine for 15 years. Hext was born on the 14 October 1842 the eldest son of the Reverend J.H...
30 June 1882	January 1884	|Commander Charles Johnstone
January 1884	10 November 1884	|Commander Edward Grey Hulton