Alfred Searls

HMS Cormorant fighting it out with a Brazilian fort while leading captured slave ships to safety. In 1850 following Brazilian reluctance to honour agreements regarding the slave trade. HMS Cormorant, under Commander Schomberg, along with consort HMS Rifleman had been sent to closely scour the coast of Brazil for slave ships. While doing so the Cormorants had cut out a slave ship that had been moored on the Rio Frio. Having a shoot out with the angry slavers as they did so. They then sailed north to the bay of Paranagua. The entrance to which was guarded by a Brazilian fort. The usual pleasantries were exchanged as it entered. Salutes and Huzzahs etc. Britain and Brazil were reasonably friendly. Once into the bay they found more slave ships lying at anchor. One was scuttled by its crew. The others were taken by surprise and easily captured. A swift and splendid operation. It was while leaving that things turned sour. While leading her captured ships out to sea she passed by the guns of the fort. The Brazilian garrison were a bit upset at their bay being ransacked and possibly a bit unsure of the legalities involved in slavers being captured in their own water. So they opened fire. Cormorant immediately piled on the coal and made for deeper water. Taking hits as she did so. Once clear she swung about and gave the fort a broadside and covered the little convoy as it made for the open sea. During the fight she suffered five shots through her hull. One of them cut a stoker in half. The convoy escaped to sea. Two of the boats were found to be unseaworthy during the escape and were burnt. A nice new Brig did survive and was sent off to the prize court at St Helena. The Cormorant carried on for another year patrolling up and down the coast of Brazil. Commander Schomberg was promoted to Captain for his gallant actions during this and other actions. One of the actions involved ramming a slave steamer with a full cargo just outside Rio harbour. Richard Bowden, the unfortunate stoker who was killed during the fight with the fort, left behind a widow and young family back in Portsmouth. It was an especially hard time for the family. Richards brother-in-law, who had been serving with the West Africa Squadron had died just a few days earlier while patrolling the coast of Benin.