Cameleon (H.M.S.)

(Officers of Pacific Station Commission 1863-1865; Edward Hardinge, Captain; John Bruce, First Lieutenant; William Binnington, Second Lieutenant; John Handfield Tully, Master; Peter Greetham, Engineer) (Officers of Pacific Station Commission 1867-1869: William H. Annesley, Captain) 17 guns. This vessel was commissioned in 1861 and arrived at Esquimalt 08/05/1863. This vessel was on the Pacific Station 1863-65 and 1867-69. On 18/05/1863 while lying in Nanaimo Harbour two petty officers and eleven ratings deserted with a ship’s cutter in broad daylight.

They were fired upon but got clear of the harbour. That evening the pursuing party landed on Gabriola Island, lit a fire and hid themselves. The deserters seeing the fire after dark, unsure of their location, gathered around the fire. While cooking their supper they were ambushed by their pursuers.

They were tried at Esquimalt on board H.M.S. Topaze on 17/06/1863 and sentenced to severe punishment - the tow petty officers receiving 4 yrears imprisonment. On 01/06/1863 this vesseljoined H.M.S. Forward in the expedition against the Lamalchi natives in reprisal for the murder of Frederick Marks and his daughter on Saturna Island.