La Capricieuse

[shipstamps]

A stamp has been issued by France to commemorate the centenary of the first visit to Canada of a French ship on a goodwill mission after the cession of Canada to England. This voyage was the sign of the definitive renunciation to any territorial claim on Canada by the Government of France. In 1855 under the orders of Commandant Belveze, the French corvette La Capricieuse of 26 guns, was a unit of the Naval Division "Terre-Neuve". At the end of May 1855, Belveze received orders to sail for Canada. The Government of Louis Napoleon were then allies of England and it was considered an opportunity for a French warship to extend friendly greetings to Canada. At the same time it was a business mission, the intention being once more to create a market in Canada for French products. A year earlier, in 1854, Queen Victoria and Louis Napoleon had exchanged visits, which led to a new era of good feeling between the English and French residing in Canada. The voyage of La Capricieuse was to cement the friendship. She carried to Canada a noteworthy collection of French books and pictures, thus masterpieces of French literature were made available to the French Canadians. As La Capricieuse entered the St. Lawrence she was saluted and escorted by the British frigates Admiral and Advance to Quebec where the vessel and her crew received a triumphal reception, both from,the English and Canadians established in the region. It was the first time since 1760, after the departure of the regiments of Montcalm, that a French naval vessel had visited Canada, and the voyage dates the resumption of friendship between French and English Canadians. La Capricieuse later took part in the expedition to China in 1860 and was disarmed and omitted from the French Navy List in 1865 after 16 years' service, having been laid down at the Toulon Navy Yard in 1847 and commissioned in 1849. An interesting fact about the stamp, is that it is not La Capricieuse which is depicted in the vignette but a ship of the same class, the corvette Galanthee. No photograph or picture of La Capricieuse was known to exist and the design of the stamp was in consequence copied from a photograph of the Galathee.
SG1261 Sea Breezes 10/55

[aukepalmhof]

Built on the French Navy yard at Toulon as a corvette.
05 July 1849 launched under the name La CAPRICIEUSE.
Dim. 43.90 x 11.80 x 4.90m. (draught)
Armament, 26 guns.
Crew 254.

01 Sept. 1849 she was armed, but set not sail before May 1850, when she received orders to proceed to the Indo-China station. She left Toulon on 28 May and made calls at Tenerife, Montevideo then to Conception where she arrived on the 29 July. She waited there along the SÉRIEUSE, which had on board the 150th Guard-Mobile, which were in route to San Francisco.
The CAPRICIEUSE crossing of the Pacific will be marked by her successive long periods at anchor in the Gambier and Marchionesses Groups in November, from there she sailed to Papeete and the Carolines.
After a stay of a few days there for scientific observations, the CAPRICIEUSE set sail for Guam, Macao and Manila, where she arrived on May 1851.
She stayed at Manila until June, then sails to Shanghai, then back to Manila in December.
Then a campaign along the coast of Indo-China. She arrived in Singapore in January 1852, accompanied by the CASSINI, from there she set course in the direction of Batavia, then she returned to the Philippines, while passing the Moluccas she surveyed the coast of Mindanao.
During the end of 1852 she made a other patrol voyage along the coast of China, in 1853 she carried out two missions against Wampoa.
Then she received orders to return to France, she heaved in her anchor on 01 September and arrived at Toulon in March 1854.
During 1855 under command of Capt. Belvéze she received orders to proceed to Canada for a goodwill mission to the old colony of France, she was the first French navy vessel after the transfer of Canada to England in 1761 which visited that country. She sailed from La Rochelle and arrived at Quebec.

16 January 1856, sailed again from Toulon for a voyage to China, it made calls at Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro (06 March) and arrived on 22 April at Sirnon Bay, which she leaves on 02 May.
09 June she passed the Sunda Strait and Banca Strait a few days later (the strait between Sumatra and Banca, an island famous for her tin mines) before she dropt her anchor at Singapore on 15th June. Set sail again from this port on29 June for the Gulf of Siam and Bangkok. From this harbour she sails on 21 Sept. for an exploration voyage to Kampuchea until 7th October.
She sails up to Tourane, where the paddle corvette CATINAT awaits her. Sails from there on 24 October after weathering a typhoon near the Paracels.
On 07 Feb.1857 set sail for Macao and from there to Hong Kong.
11 June the CAPRICIEUSE sails to the north together with the sloop MARCEAU. Anchored at Ning-Po and took some pirate junks before she could escape. The crew were brought to Macao after she made a call at Chin-Ai and Amoy.
02 Sept the CAPRICIEUSE sails for Hong Kong together with the LA DURANCE, a transport vessel, both vessels arrived at Shanghai 26 Nov., then she sails to Hong Kong, towed by the corvette PHLÉGÉTON, from there to Canton and took part in the capture of that city, stayed there on station till she received orders to proceed to France on 19 June 1860. Most of the crew and almost all the officers of the vessel, under which commander Capt. Julies Collier are detached to the garrison of the town and stayed behind.
After provision taken on board at Hong Kong, and wounded and sick patients at Macao from the navy it sails on 7 July from the China Sea via Bachi Channel, (Between Taiwan and Luzon island, Philippines at the south of Taiwan), Bougainville Strait and Ombai or Alor Island. (located in 02 S 132E, the strait of Ombai-Wetar was used by US submarine’s to pass through from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean during World War II.) She stays 10 days at Amboynas before on 30 August sailed out again.
Anchored 28 September in La Réunion, and sailed from that island on 10 October.
After a stop at the Cape from October 30 until 11 November set again sail, passed the Line on 29 November, arrived Toulon 31 December 1860.
She was disarmed in January 1861, and stricken from the navy list on 18 March 1865, broken up in 1868.

Not a painting of drawing of the LA CAPRICIEUSE exist, the stamp is designed after a painting of the GALATHEE a sistership.

Source: http;//www.netmarine.net/bat/patrouil/p684/celebre.htm Mr. Jean Louis Araignon.