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HMS Phoenix Frigate [Fifth Rate, 36 Gun] (Royal Navy) [1783-1816]
Built by Parsons at Burlesdon; launched 15 July 1783. Two decks. Dimensions: length, 137 ft. [approx]; breadth 38 ft. [approx]; 884 tons. Guns: 26 x 18 Pounders; 10 x 9 Pounders; 12 swivels. Crew: 260.
Completed fitting for sea in December 1788 and sailed for the East Indies in February 1789 under Captain Sir Richard Strachan, in action against the French frigate Le Résolu in November 1791. Returned to Britain in 1793 and had a distinguished career in action against French naval vessels and privateers in the Channel and the Mediterranean. HMS Phoenix was eventually wrecked near Smryna in the Mediterranean on 20 February 1816 and burnt on 2 March 1816.
Macquarie refers to the arrival of the Phoenix at Bombay on 13 November 1789; operational associations between his regiment and the Phoenix (see: 20 December 1790); and news at Bombay on 22 November 1791 of the Phoenix's action near Mangalore with Le Résolu convoying a consignment of military supplies to Tipu Sultan.
[Source: Lyon, D. The Sailing Navy List...1688-1860. p. 82; Winfield, Rif. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817. London: Chatham, 2005 p.139].

HMS Piédmontaise (Royal Navy, 1809-1813) - Frigate [formerly la Piémontaise, French Navy, 1804-1808)
French-built frigate. The Piémontaise was one of seven French frigates of the la Consolante Class. Built at 'St Malo' (St Servan, France] in the period 1802Ñ1805, launched 15 November 1804. Length: 128ft 10in, breadth: 39ft 11in; 1091 tons. Armaments: 28 x 18 pdr; 10 x 36 pdr carronades; and 8 x 12 pdr guns; Crew: 350 + lascars.
The Piémontaise had escaped the British naval blockade of St. Malo in 1806 and sailed immediately for the East Indies and the Ile de France. On 11 June 1806, off the Cape of Good Hope, she attacked and seized the East Indiaman Warren Hastings (1200 tons) sailing from China (with a cargo of tea worth 3,000,000 francs). The Piémontaise and her prize ship reached Ile de France on 4 July 1806. Leaving again in August 1806 the Piémontaise's first capture was the Grappler (on 31 August), followed soon afterwards by the Altomany/Allamany, Fame (900 tons) [on 24 September] and another unnamed Arab vessel captured on 22 September and carrying 40,000 dollas in specie. The Grappler and Fame were sent as prize vessels to Ile de France, while the Piémontaise continued to harass British shipping in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. The Bahim-Sha (400 tons) and the Patricia (190 tons) were the next vessels seized, and la Piémontaise eventually returned to Ile de France on 15 December 1806, after an extremely successful cruise. Among the passengers on board the Grappler were Lieut. G.W. Brande and Assistant-Surgeon William Thomas who were granted parole by their French captors and returned to Madras. They subsequently joined Lachlan Macquarie in Bombay and accompanied him on his 1807 overland journey to Britain through Iraq, Persia, Russia and the Baltic.
Departing again early in 1807, she failed to take any prizes in her 6-month cruise, but this was compensated for during her next cruise departing on 3 September 1807, in company with the Ravenant, when she captured the British frigate HMS Caroline, (22 gun: 18 x 24 pdr carronades & 4 x 9 pdrs), and the merchant vessels Maria, Eliza, Udney (500 tons), Castel Dansborg (350 tons), Resource (250 tons), Louisa (250 tons), Mosulpha (300 tons) and the Calcutta (300 tons). After a brief return to port for one month la Piémontaise was ordered back to sea, with a reduced complement of 300 men (including 30 lascars). Again, she had little success until February 1808 when she intercepted a convoy of East Indiamen under the escort of the British frigate HMS Sir Francis Drake (44 gun: 18 pdrs). A fierce sea-battle ensued and la Piémontaise, though more heavily armed, was driven off. Next month, between 6-8 March 1808, near Cape Cormorin, Ceylon, la Piémontaise was detected by the British frigate HMS San Fiorenzo, and after an epic three-day chase and multi-stage battle with serious casualties on both sides (French: 49 killed and 92 wounded; British 13 killed and 27 wounded) la Piémontaise struck her colours and surrendered. The Piémontaise was taken as a prize and towed to Colombo, arriving on 13 March. Subsequently purchased by the Royal Navy and commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1809 as the Piédmontaise. The ship served as part of the East India fleet until returning to Britain in August 1812, where she was eventually broken up at Woolwich in January 1813.
[Sources: Austen, H.C.M. Sea Fights and Corsairs of the Indian Ocean, being the history of Mauritius from 1715 to 1810. Port Louis, Mauritius: R.W. Brooks, 1934 pp.95-96 and 102; Winfield, Rif. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817. London: Chatham, 2005 pp. 159, and 179; Woodman, Richard. The Victory of Seapower: winning the Napoleonic War 1806-1814. London: Chatham Publishing 1998 pp.86-87; and Naval Chronicle Vol. 18, 1807 pp.481-485].

Princess Charlotte (1819-1820) Colonial Brig
First vessel built at Newcastle, NSW; constructed by convict named Fortesco de Santos. Launched 19 September 1819, Dimensions: 60 tons.
Arrived in Sydney on first voyage in October 1819. Vessel lost, presumed wrecked, on a voyage from Hobart Town to Sydney (departed 27 September 1820).

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