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Sunday 5 July 2015

British warships needed at Ichaboe Island to retain calmness according to the Dutch newspaper Nieuwe Rotterdamsche courant dated 14 January 1845

An item reported that the British government ship Isis (1) which departed on 9 November 1844 Cape of Good Hope, South Africa arrived at England. A new guano island was discovered by the Saldanhay Bay and confiscated by the British government as lying within the territory of the colony. Exploitation was allowed against the payment of a pond sterling. The Isis who anchored off Ichaboe (2) was now replaced by the Thundered (3) and the calmness was restored.

Notes
1. Probably HMS 2-decker 4th rate Isis, her building as part of the Salisbury-class was ordered on 10 September 1811,  laid down at the Woolwich Dockyard in February 1816, launched on 5 October 1819, completed at the Chatham Dockyard on 3 September 1823, coal depot at Sierra Leone since March 1861 and finally sold to be broken up there on 12 March 1867.
2. Ichaboe island is a small island lying off the coast of Namibia. Earlier was she used for sealing until thick layers of guano were discovered and on very large scale was the exploited. In 1845 even by 450 boats and 6.000 men were busy scrapping the guano.
3. Probably the HMS 2-decker 2nd rate Thunderer, building as part of the Canopus-class ordered on 23 January 1817, laid down at the Woolwich Dockyard in April 1823, launched on 22 September 1831, hulked in 1863, renamed Comet in 1869, renamed Nettle in 1870 and finally sold to be broken up in 1901.