The Evening Post 26 and 31 Oct 1887

The Evening Post 26 Oct 1887

REPORTED RECOVERY OF A SHIPWRECKED CREW.

It is reported that HMS Calliope has picked up the crew of HMS Wasp, which is supposed to have foundered off Singapore.

The Evening Post 31 Oct 1887

THE OVERDUE WASP

The China mail of 5^th October, has the following regarding the overdue British gunboat Wasp: -- “Every day that passes adding to the anxiety felt the safety of HMS Wasp, which left Johore on 10^th September for Hong Kong, and has therefore been out more than twenty-five days. The Cockchafer and the Firebrand have been sent out from Hong Kong to search for her. A steamer belonging to the Singapore government also left on the same errand. The native authorities here have likewise requested the captains of steamers trading between here and Manilla to keep a lookout for the gunboat and have telegraphed to Saijod and other ports between here and Singapore regarding her. There was a rumour that the Russian transport which passed through the harbour recently had sighted the Wasp labouring in one of the typhoons that were raging in the China Sea about two weeks ago, but the Russian vessel made no report on the matter. The Wasp which is a new vessel on her first trip, is a composite gunboat of 670 tons, 73 men and 100 horsepower, and is armed with six fine breach-loading guns. She arrived in Singapore from England on the 18th August last. Her Majesty's ship Leander returned to port at Hong Kong on 17th October from her cruise in search of the missing gunboat. She reports that cruising among the islands of the Paraul Group she found one old wreck of a wooden ship on one of the islands of the Amphitriti group and the wreck of an iron steamer on the north reef. Boats could not board them on account of the surf.

NOTE: The Wasp is described on wiki as a bramble-class composite screw gunboat that was launched in 1886. She foundered 1887 after leaving Singapore.