An item reported that British citizens were harassed at New Calabar river at Bakana, African west coast. The house of the British consul still uncompleted was demolished and the materials thrown in the water. The Liberian gunboat Rocktown bombarded the town.(1)
Note
1. According to Conway’s All the world; fighting ships 1860-1905 launched at Rotterdam, Netherlands in 1894, in Liberian service as schooner-rigged steam gunboat, dimensions 30,48 x 6,09 metres or 100’ x 20’. With a speed of 12 knots. The armament consisted of 1-6pd quick firing gun and 3 machineguns. An item in the St. John Daily Sin dated 22 November 1900 reported that she was capsized in the harbour of Monrovia 5,5 fathom water. The other gunboat called Goronnamah capsized in the St. Paul’s River when she was to get cleaned and overhauled. The newspaper The New York Times dated 28 March 1900 confirmed her capsizing on 10 March and her launching at Rotterdam in 1894. Another Dutch newspaper the Algemeen Handelsblad dated 14 March 1895 supplies very important details. She referred to another paper the Temps which stated that the Nieuwe Afrikaansche Handelsvennootschap at Rotterdam sold a second gunboat to the Liberian government named Rocktown. Lacking money was she paid by the Liberian government by not asking taxes for Dutch products! The newspaper Rotterdamsch nieuwsblad dated 24 April 1895 mentioned that the Rocktown was departed a day earlier with stores towards Monrovia. The newspaper De Tijd dated 26 April reported the departure of the gunboat Rocktown towards Monrovia. She was built in 1894 by the shipyard De Industrie of P. Smit Jr. (J.A. Goudappel, Machinefabriek en Scheepswerf P. Smit Jr.) in 1895 with yard number 119 for the Oost Africa Compagnie.
