HMS Providence

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Career
Built:
Fate: Wrecked 1797
General characteristics
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Deck: ft (— m)
Keel: ft (— m)
Beam: ft (— m)
Draught: — ft (— m)
Type:
Rigging:
Hull: Wood
Propulsion: Sail
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HMS Providence was a British naval vessel of the 18th century commanded by William Bligh from 1791 to 1793. Bligh completed a mission to collect breadfruit trees and other botanical specimens from the Pacific, which he transported to the West Indies. Specimens were given to the Royal Botanic Gardens in St. Vincent.

In 1795, Captain William Robert Broughton was ordered to rejoin the Vancouver Expedition in command of HMS Providence. Reaching Monterrey long after the expedition made its final departure, Robert decided (correctly) that Vancouver would not have left his surveying task unfinished and departed to chart the coast of east Asia.

In the course of his explorations, he named Caroline Island Carolina (which later became "Caroline") "in compliment to the daughter of Sir P. Stephens of the Admiralty."[1]. This name superseded that given by Pedro Fernández de Quirós, a Portuguese explorer sailing on behalf of Spain; his account names the island "San Bernardo."[1]

Providence voyaged to Asia as the crew surveyed the coast of Hokkaidō before wintering at Macau. There Broughton purchased a small schooner which proved providential when, in 1797 Providence wrecked at Miyako-jima, south of Okinawa. Broughton and his crew continued the mission in the schooner, exploring northeast Asia, and returned home in February 1799.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Kepler, A.K.; C.B. Kepler (February 1994). "The natural history of the Caroline Atoll, Southern Line Islands". Atoll Research Bulletin 397–398.