To commemorate the naval expedition which sailed from Valparaiso in August 1820 to liberate Peru, the Argentine Post Office issued a single 26c. stamp depicting the departure of the fleet. The ship leading the line is the San Martin (ex-Cumberland, of the Honourable East India Company). She was a vessel of 1,300 tons, armed with 64 guns, and was the flagship of the fleet.
The ship following her was the O'Higgins (ex-Maria Ysabel), a frigate of 44 guns. She was built at St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1813, as the Patritsii, before being bought by Spain and renamed Maria Ysabel (sometimes printed as Maria Isabel). In May 1818, she sailed from Cadiz to El Callao, escorting a convoy of 11 merchant frigates under the command of D. Manuel del Castillo, and second in command D. Dionisio Capaz, with five officers, 131 crew and 70 marines. In the Canary Islands the captain, suffering from a paralytic stroke, was disembarked, leaving Capaz in command. On October 28, off the coast of Chile, near Santa Maria Island, they approached two ships flying the British flag. These were in fact the Chilean vessels San Martin (mentioned above) and the Lautaro.
The crew of the Maria Ysabel ran their vessel aground to render her useless to the Chileans, but they were able to repair the damage and used her against the Spaniards as the 0 'Higgins. Astern of the 0 'Higgins is the brigantine Araucano, a small vessel of 270 tons, but carrying 16 guns, followed by the schooner Montezuma, of 200 tons, armed with seven guns. In the distance are a number of transports.
SG1344 Sea Breezes Jan 1972