Paris, 16 April. From Toulon were the next tidings dated 9 April send.
The French goelette la Daphne (1), commanded by lieutenant Frezier departed towards Smirna, escorting a large amount of ships from Marseille.
Yesterday arrived the Dutch brig Zr. Ms. Gier (2), commanded by captain Van Son, coming from Mahon, which harbour she left 23 March. The same day arrived the French goelettte l’Amaranthe (3), commanded by lieutenant de Bruis, coming from Smirna, where she departed 25 February as ordered by admiral de Rigny. She served as an escort for 6 merchant ships.
The Egyptian frigate la Guerrièrre, built and fitted out at Marseille, appeared yesterday off Toulon. The sea prefect refused an escort requested by general Livron (4) and admiral (5). Flying French colours she departed towards Alexandra. Letellier served until 1814 as captain in the French navy. His flag captain was Bompar (6), former navy lieutenant, appointed by the marquis de Livron as captain in the Egyptian navy.
The Egyptian corvette la Lionne, which departed a month earlier from Toulon wasn’t as some newspapers suggested by admiral (of Greece) lord Cochraine, while she was flying white colours and had a French crew.
Sources
Archive of naval yard at Hellevoetsluis no. 507 (The National Archive at The Hague).
Archief Ministerie van Marine Aanhangsel na 1813 no.’s 49, 55 and 82 (The National Archive at The Hague).
“Schepen op de admiraliteitswerf gebouwd”, list written by Glavimans in: Rotterdamsch Jaarboekje, reeks 01, jaargang 07, 1900.
W.J.L. Poelmans. Nieuwsberichten in: Rotterdamsch Jaarboekje, reeks 02, volume 1, 1913, volume 2, 1914, vol 3, 1915.
A.J. Vermeulen. De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine en die der gouvernementsmarine 1814-1962.
J. Vichot. Repertoire des navires de guerre français. Paris, 1967.
Notes
1. La Daphné, laid down and launched at Lorient 1824, last mentioned 1833.
2. According to Vermeulen and the inventory of the naval archives a so-called 8-gun aviso brig or aviso vessel. On stocks by P. Glavimans at naval yard at Rotterdam September 1816, launched January 1818, coppered 1818, dimensions 80 x 25 x 12’8” (Amsterdam feet), condemned at Hellevoetsluis 1845 and sold to be broken up 19 March. 16 July 1844 for repairs placed in aft dock at Hellevoetsluis, 4 January 1845 out.
3. Launched at Lorient 1817, last mentioned 1833.
4. William St. Clair in That Greece Might Be Free, p. 275, mentioned the roll he played in accepting the request done by Mehemet for the building of two frigates and a brig. The Museum of foreign literature and science, vol. 10, 1827, p. 110, mentioned that he was responsible for the directly delivery for some years of military stores to Egypt.
5. Willem James and Frederick Charnier. The naval history of Great Britain: from the declaration of war by France in 1793 to the accession of George IV. Vol. 6, p. 485, calls him in 1827 the French instructor of the Egyptian navy, which was present at the battle at Navarino. Something confirmed by William St. Clair in That Greece Might Still Be Free: The Philhellenes in the War of Independence and The Colonist, 1827, p. 100 calls him a deserter form the French navy.
6. John Lee Comstock. History of the Greek revolution, 1828, p. 430 mentioned that monsieur Bompard was a French officer, in Egyptian service at the battle of Navarino and which supplied information about the Turkish navy after the battle. According to Hezekiah and William Ogden Niles, Niles’ Weekly register, vol. 33, 19 January 1928, retired Bompard from the Egyptian serviced, as ‘ordered’ by the French admiral De Rigny.
