Experiment (1802 EIC ship)

Experiment was launched in 1802 and was immediately taken up by the British East India Company (EIC), as an "extra ship" on a multi-voyage charter. She made three voyages for the EIC and disappeared without a trace while homeward bound on her fourth voyage in the same storm that claimed two other East Indiamen.

History
United Kingdom
Name	Experiment
Owner	Voyages 1 &2: Robert Taylor[1] Voyage 3: George Fraser[1] Voyage 4: James Loughnan[1]
Builder	Wells, Blackwall,
Launched	29 October 1802
Fate	Disappeared November 1808
General characteristics
Tons burthen	549,[1] or 54920⁄94,[2] or 610[3] (bm)
Length	124 ft 10+1⁄2 in (38.1 m) (overall); 99 ft 9+1⁄2 in (30.4 m) (keel)[1]
Beam	32 ft 2 in (9.8 m)[1]
Depth of hold	16 ft 0 in (4.9 m)[1]
Propulsion	Sail
Complement	1803:55 1804:55 1806:50 1807:60
Armament	1803:18 × 12-pounder guns 1804:18 × 12-pounder guns 1806:18 × 12-pounder guns 1807:18 × 9-pounder guns
Notes	Two decks

Career

EIC voyage #1 (1803-1804): Captain James Carnegie acquired a letter of marque on 15 October 1803. He sailed from the Downs on 10 February 1803, bound for Bombay. Experiment reached Johanna on 13 May and arrived at Bombay on 7 June. Homeward bound, she reached St Helena on 14 November and Cork on 18 January 1804, before arriving at Blackwall on 15 February.^[1]

EIC voyage #2 (1804-1805): Captain Peter Campbell acquired a letter of marque on 4 May 1804. He sailed from Portsmouth on 9 June 1804. Experiment reached Madeira on 5 July and arrived at Bombay on 11 December.^[1]

At Bombay Experiment took on part of a cargo of tea that Brunswick had brought. Brunswick had had to put into Bombay for repairs while homeward bound from China. The EIC's Court of Directors decided to transship her cargo and send her back to China after the repairs had been completed.

On her homeward journey Experiment reached Tellicherry on 23 February 1805, Anjengo on 6 March, and St Helena on 23 June. She arrived at Blackwall on 18 September.^[1]

EIC voyage #3 (1806-1807): Captain James Normand acquired a letter of marque on 26 March 1806. He sailed from Portsmouth on 14 May 1806, bound for Bombay. Experiment reached False Bay on 6 August and arrived at Bombay on 6 October. Homeward bound, she was at the Cape of Good Hope on 16 February 1807 and St Helena on 9 March, and arrived at the Downs on 28 May.^[1]

EIC voyage #4 (1807-Loss): Captain John Logan acquired a letter of marque on 21 August 1807. He sailed from Portsmouth on 17 September 1807, bound for Madras and Bengal. The homeward bound fleet left Bengal on 25 October 1808.^[4] She, Glory, and Lord Nelson parted company with the fleet in a gale between 20 and 23 November,^[5] at 8°30′S 80°00′E. None of the three vessels was ever heard of again.^[1] The EIC declared that the value of its cargo on Experiment was £5,592.^[5]

See also

• List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea

Citations

1. "Experiment (4), Ship - British Library". searcharchives.bl.uk. Archived from the original on 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
2. Hackman (2001), p. 108.
3. "Letter of Marque, p.62 – Retrieved 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
4. Lloyd's List №4391.
5. House of Commons (1830), p. 977.

References

• Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.
• House of Commons, Parliament, Great Britain (1830). Reports from the Select Committee of the House of Commons appointed to enquire into the present state of the affairs of the East India Company, together with the minutes of evidence, an appendix of documents, and a general index. Vol. 2. Printed by order of the honourable court of directors, by J.L. Cox.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)