Lloyd's Register (1786) listed Neptune with P. Martin, master and owner, and trade London–Jamaica, changing to London–Maryland.[5] Lloyd's List, however, reported on 4 October 1784 that Neptune, Martin, master, from Suriname, had arrived at Hispaniola, and was expected to sail from Port-au-Prince to Quebec in mid-August.[6]
| Year |
Master |
Owner |
Trade |
Source & notes |
| 1790 |
P. Martin |
P. Martin |
Waterford–Newfoundland |
LR;[4] small repairs 1789 |
| 1795 |
J. French |
J. Jarrett |
London transport |
LR; good repair 1794 |
| 1800 |
T. Hopper |
Jarrett (jr.) |
London-Southern Fisheries |
LR; good repair 1796 |
|
Lloyd's List reported on 5 June 1789 that Neptune, Martin, master, had had to put back into Waterford after having been out some three weeks. She had become very leaky.[7]
Lloyd's Register for 1797 showed Neptune's master changing from J. French to T. Hopper, and her trade to London–South Seas.[2] Neptune was mentioned in the Protection Lists.
Captain Hopper sailed Neptune in 1797 on a whaling voyage to the East Coast of Africa.[1] She was at Delagoa Bay in late June 1798. There, on 28 June 1798, Captain Sever, of the East Indiaman Lion, chartered Neptune, Hopper, master, and two other English ships, London, Keen, master, and Eliza, Kerr, master, to carry Lion's cargo back to England. Lion had been carrying a cargo from Madras and Columbo to England when she had put into Delagoa Bay in distress. Despite the efforts of the three other English ships and three American ships there, Lion could not be saved.[8]
Neptune and Eliza towed Lion farther up the Maputo River and then remained for some weeks. Eventually, all three British whalers left with only a portion of the cargo. The bulk of Lion's cargo was to go on Britannia, which had since arrived.[8]
Great Britain