Iron screw steamer Nautilus, built about 1846, 194 tons, owned M'Tear & Hadfield of Liverool. Voyage to Lisbon advertised February 1847. Her return voyage was remarked on as very quick. In August 1847, a quick passage to Alexandria was noted. By April 1849, she was registered at London, owned M F Bremer and listed as 194 tons, 14 crew, 135.5 x 20.6 ft, master Pearson, making 1 voyage to France and 11 to Belgium.
Voyage Dunkirk to Liverpool, with grain, on 14th January 1851, ran onto Platters, rocks near the Skerries off Anglesey, and sank with loss of 9 crew. Master Pearson.
[from Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser - Tuesday 19 January 1847]:
STEAM CONVEYANCE BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND LISBON. We are glad to state that two splendid new iron steam schooners, the Nautilus, of 300 tons, and the Waterwitch, of 250 tons, are about to commence running next month, with goods and passengers, between this port and Lisbon, and that another will be added to the line, if it be deemed necessary. Both of the vessels named are of the best construction, with screw propellers, and fitted up in a most elegant and commodious manner in every respect. The Nautilus much resembles the Antelope, which has been so highly successful, and the other ship (for ships they are, though schooner-rigged,) is equally well appointed. These vessels will present delightful conveyances for passengers to the south of Europe at all times of the year, and in rapidly bringing home fine fruit in prime condition; a great desideratum in itself. We wish them every success.
[from Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser - Tuesday 26 January 1847]:
STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND LISBON. The splendid new Iron Steam Schooners NAUTILUS, Captain Rouch, of 300 tons register, and WATERWITCH, Captain COYLE, of 250 tons register, are intended to run regularly between the above ports, with goods and passengers. The days of sailing will, for the present, be as follows: FROM LIVERPOOL: NAUTILUS on 1st February. FROM LISBON: NAUTILUS on 15th February. M'Tear, Hadfield & Thompson.
[from Liverpool Mail - Saturday 27 February 1847]:
Quick Passage. On Monday afternoon, the Nautilus arrived from Lisbon, having left that port on the 15th, and encountered very severe weather. She has proved herself to be a perfect little clipper. A short time since she completed her outward bound passage in the amazingly short time of four days twenty hours. The schooner King of Tyre also made a remarkably quick passage out, having sailed hence on the 3d instant, and arrived at Lisbon the 8th, thus performing the voyage in five days. The Nautilus was the first of the line of screw steamers intended to ply between this port and Lisbon.
[from North Devon Journal - Thursday 23 January 1851]:
Wreck of the Nautilus Screw Steamer. - Some particulars of this vessel have been furnished by Mr. Pearson, the master, from which it appears that on the 10th inst., she left Dunkirk for Liverpool with a cargo of flour. Tuesday morning, shortly after 10 o'clock, Holyhead was in sight, the wind blowing strong from the S.S.W. The course was taken between the Skerries and the land, the mate, John Hibbs, being an old navigator of the place. In the course of an hour the Skerries were passed, the vessel steaming on with a reefed mainsail, when she struck on a reef of rocks. The two boats were directed to be prepared; efforts were made to back the vessel off the rocks, and she was taken off. She was then fast filling. While the master was endeavouring to save the ship's papers, &c, the second mate and eight others got into the long-boat and shoved off. The master, the chief mate, and three others of the crew got into the small boat and drifted along with the wreck for more than half an hour, and then got aboard her again, but were compelled to abandon their attempt to get her steam up, the water having gained more than five feet while they were on board. They then again took to the small boat. The men in the longboat meanwhile attempted to reach the Skerries. In consequence of the strong current, the eddy was very considerable, and the men on duty at the lighthouse called on them to wear round to the other side of the island; instead of doing so they rowed into the eddy, when the boat was capsized, and they perished. The small boat made for the lighthouse, and brought up on the other side the reef, and those in it were saved. Had the time been an hour earlier, the depth of water would have been sufficient to allow the Nautilus to pass over the rocks. The names of the men who perished: Frederick Bennett, Peter How, Thomas Wright, John Spicer, Samuel Rudge, John Mace, Thomas Milton, James Lamber, and Joseph Double.
[from Liverpool Albion - Monday 20 January 1851]:
THE LATE STORM: WRECK OF THE SCREW STEAMER NAUTILUS. During the past week the whole of the coast has been visited with a severe gale, which has been attended with several disasters of a more or less serious character to the shipping. Several vessels were obliged to put back, being unable to proceed to sea. On Thursday intelligence was received of the loss of the screw steamer Nautilus, struck on the Platters, a ledge of rocks between the Skerries and the mainland, shortly before noon on Tuesday. The Nautilus, which belongs to an eminent firm, and not to the General Screw Steam Shipping Company as has been erroneously stated, was laden with flour and a small quantity of wine; and we fear that all her cargo is completely sacrificed. The vessel, after she struck on the Platters, was got off, but was rendered quite unmanageable in consequence of her rudder being disabled, At this juncture, she was abandoned by nine who took to the long boat, and were, a short time afterwards, seen to go down, by the persons in charge the lighthouse. The captain, engineer, mate, and one of the crew, who remained on board, afterwards got into the small boat, and having received a signal from the lighthouse directing them to a part of the Skerries, where they might land with safety, they were preserved from the fate of their less fortunate companions who had preceded them. They were conveyed to Holyhead by the steamer Trinity, on the following day, and are thankful for their deliverance, having escaped a watery grave. The vessel was last seen from Holyhead floating outside the Skerries, a good deal down by the head, and she is reported to have sunk. As soon as her position can be ascertained, we understand that measures will be taken to recover her, if possible. We understand that the cargo is insured at Lloyd's, but we have not heard whether the owners of the vessel are equally fortunate.

[from Liverpool Mail - Saturday 25 January 1851]:
The screw-steamer Nautilus, the loss of which was reported in the Mail last week, has sunk in deep water, and thus put an end to the hopes that were at first entertained of her being raised. The nine men who took to the longboat have not yet been heard of, nor have their bodies been cast up anywhere on the coast.