HMS Phaeton (1782)

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HMS Phaeton
Contemporary Japanese drawing of the HMS Phaeton (Nagasaki Municipal Museum).
Career
Ordered:	1780
Laid down:	June 1780
Launched:	12 June 1782
Sailed:	December 1782
Fate:	Sold 1827, Broken up, 1828
General Characteristics
tons Burthen:	944
Length:	141-0 feet
Beam:	39-0 feet
Depth of Hold:	13-10 feet
Propulsion:	Sail
Speed:
Range:
Complement:	280–
Armament (as ordered):	UD: Twenty Eight 18lb guns; QD six 18lb carronades, eight 9lb guns FC four 18lb carronades two 9lbguns

HMS Phaeton was a 38-gun, fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy most noted for its intrusion into Nagasaki harbour in 1808. The Phaeton was built in Liverpool in 1782 and was involved in numerous engagements during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Phaeton was sent to the Pacific in 1805 returned in 1812, and was sold in 1827.

[edit] Nagasaki Harbour Incident

As Napoleon had conquered the Netherlands, and begun to use its resources against England, Royal Navy ships started to prey on Dutch shipping. In 1808, Phaeton entered Nagasaki harbour to attack a couple of Dutch trading ships planned for arrival.

Phaeton entered Nagasaki harbour on October 14th under a Dutch flag. As was the custom, Dutch representatives from the Nagasaki trading enclave of Dejima rowed out to welcome the visiting ship, but as they approached a tender was lowered by Phaeton to capture the Dutch representatives. The Phaeton demanded supplies (water, food, fuel) to be delivered to the ship in exchange for the release of the Dutch employees. The Phaeton also fired cannons and muskets to press her demands, and threatened to destroy the Japanese and Chinese ships in the harbour.

The meagre Japanese forces in Nagasaki were unable to repel the Phaeton. At the time, it was the Saga clan's turn to uphold the policy of Sakoku and to protect Nagasaki harbour, but they had limited expenses by sending only 100 troops there, instead of the 1,000 officially required for the station. The Nagasaki Magistrate, Matsudaira Gempei Zushonokami, immediately ordered troops from the neighbouring areas of Kyūshū island to be sent. A force of 8,000 samurai and 40 ships was mobilized to confront the Phaeton, but they could not arrive for a few days. In the meantime, the Nagasaki Magistrate decided to respond to the ship's demands, and provided supplies.

The Phaeton left two days later on October 17th, before the arrival of Japanese reinforcements, and after it had learnt that the Dutch trading ships would not be coming that year. A letter for the Dutch director Hendrik Doeff was also left. The Nagasaki Magistrate, Matsudaira, took responsibility by committing suicide by seppuku.

Following the attack of the Phaeton, the Bakufu reinforced coastal defenses, and promulgated a law prohibiting foreigners coming ashore, on pain of death (1825~1842, Muninen-uchikowashi-rei). The Bakufu also requested official interpreters to learn English and Russian, departing from their focus on Dutch studies. In 1814, the first English-Japanese dictionary (6,000 words) was written by the Dutch interpreter Motoki Shozaemon.