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HMS Lady Nelson [6 Gun] Sloop/Brig - Royal Navy
Built at Deptford, London in 1799 as a cutter and purchased in 1800. Dimensions: 52 ft 6" feet, breadth 17 ft 6"; 60 tons; 6 Guns (Carronade); Crew: 17.
Fitted with three sliding keels or centreboards - the invention of Captain John Schanck (The draught when the keels were raised was less than 6 feet).
First ship from England to sail through Bass Strait, under the command of Lieut. James Grant. Arrived in Sydney on 16/17 December 1800. Sailed from Port Jackson for the Hunter River on survey work on 10 June 1801 accompanied by the schooner Francis. Surveyed the Hunter estuary and a flag was raised on the island (now Nobby's Head) to indicate the entrance to the river.
Afterwards the Lady Nelson was used for additional survey work accompanying HMS Investigator in 1802, under the command of Matthew Flinders, during coastal explorations along the east coast of Australia. She was sent back to Port Jackson in October 1802 having lost anchors and keels as well as running aground twice. She played a prominent role in the relocation of the Norfolk Islanders to Hobart Town in 1807 and 1808, and to Port Dalrymple in 1813. Also used for transporting grain from the Hawkesbury and coal from Newcastle to Sydney.
Descriptions of the Lady Nelson appear prominently in Lachlan Macquarie's journal during his tour of inspection to Van Diemen's Land in 1811. In particular he notes her seaworthiness in heavy weather, praising her as 'the best and safest Sea-Boat I ever sailed in'.
In 1819 she was again used in survey work along the New South Wales coast and in April 1820, during the establishment of the new settlement at Port Macquarie, she ran aground on the bar near the harbour entrance. When Lachlan Macquarie visited the settlement in November 1821 he commented upon the salvage attempts and repairs that were being undertaken to refloat the vessel and return her to government service again. By 1824 she was in commission again and was being used to supply livestock to the new settlement being established on Melville Island (Port Dundas) in northern Australia.
The Lady Nelson was seized by pirates off Timor in February 1825 while attempting to obtain supplies for the recently established settlement on Melville Island. All the crew members were killed and the vessel scuttled on Babar Island, north-east of Timor.
[Source: WINFIELD, Rif. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817: design, construction, careers and fates. London: Chatham Publishing, 2005. p.337].

HMS Little Belt (Danish: Lille Belt) [Sixth Rate, 20 Gun] - Royal Navy (ex-Danish Prize).
Built at Copenhagen in 1801-1802.
Dimensions: length 116 ft 4in; breadth 94 ft; 460 tons. Guns: 18 x 32-pounder carronades and 2 x 9 pounders. Crew: 121.
Captured at the surrender of Copenhagen on 7 September 1807 and sailed on 26 September 1807 in convoy with HMS Calypso carrying Lachlan Macquarie back to Britain at the end of his overland journey from India via the Persian Gulf and Russia. Arrived at Woolwich on 24 October 1807; commissioned in Royal Navy in April 1808 under Commander John Crispo; her re-fit was completed in May 1809, and thereafter the ship was rated as a sixth rate 20-gun sloop. Sailed for North America in June 1809. Attacked by the US frigate President on 16 May 1811. The vessel was so badly damaged in the action with USS President that she saw little further service and was sold at Deptford in November 1811.
[Source: WINFIELD, Rif. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817: design, construction, careers and fates. London: Chatham Publishing, 2005. pp. 241-242].

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