Built as a frigate on the yard of Money Wigram & Sons at Blackwood on the Thames for the navy of Peru. Ordered by the navy of Peru early 1850. 12 Feb. 1852, launched under the name AMAZONAS. Named after the River Amazonas.
Displacement 1.320 tons. Tonnage 1.473 gross, 1.679 (bm).Dim. 197 bpp x 43 x 27.6ft
Powered by 2 cyl. horizontal compound steam engine, manufactured by John Penn & Sons, 300 nhp. (900ihp), speed 9 knots.
Armament 26 – 32 inch, 6 – 64 pdrs. and 1 – 120 pdr. at the stern.
1852 Completed. She was built under the supervision of Captain Valle Riestra.
There is a nice picture of her in the Illustrated London News of 14 Feb. 1852 page 140.
Sailed from the Thames and arrived early 1853 at Callao, with on board 15 young Peruvian naval officers, who were trained as cadets at the French Naval Academy.
25 October 1856 set sail from Callao for London for repair and modification. She was under command of Captain José Boterin this voyage.
Her course was across the Pacific, and her first port of call was Hong Kong. At that time there was war between the Chinese Empire and England and France (The Lorcha Arrow War) and the port was crowded with ships, making it very difficult for the AMAZONAS to find a berth. After 20 days at anchor she set sail for Calcutta.
During the passage she met heavy weather, and only through good seamanship of officers and crew she survived. Passed trough the Strait of Singapore, and stayed at that port for a few days, before she set course to Calcutta, where she arrived on 06 Feb. 1857. At this port she stayed for almost three months. At this unhealthy and dirty port 38 men of the crew died on board including the doctor on cholera and other tropical diseases.
28 April 1857 sailed from Calcutta, and via the Indian Ocean she headed for the Cape Of Good Hope, during the passage she met several storms, and after 74 days of which 16 days were steamed and 58 days under sails, she arrived on 10 July 1857 St Helena.
From St Helena the AMAZONAS headed for England, her first port of call was Plymouth, and then continued for London for repair and modification on the builders yard. After a repair and refit of 139 days she sailed from the River Thames. Returning via Plymouth where she stayed from 16 till 28 January 1858 before she headed home, during the passage she made calls at Rio de Janeiro on 7 March, where Captain Boterin was relieved by Captain Ignacio Mariategui.
After sailing she set course for Strait Magellan, which was passed without problems, made a call at Talcahuano, Chile on 5 May before heading for the Peruvian port Arica and finally she arrived at Callao on 28 May 1858.
She was the first Latin-America warship to sail around the world, a voyage that took 19 months, and she sailed 41.277 miles, 38 men died in Calcutta and an other 20 during the voyage.
The next 8 years together with the warship APURIMAC she were the backbone of the Peruvian navy.
When the Government of Ecuador illegally paid its British creditors with Peruvian land, the AMAZONAS was send out to blockade the port of Guayaquil, from November 1858 until August 1859.
When six years later the war with Spain broke out, she took part in the operations against the Spanish fleet.
When in convoy in the South of Chile and passing through difficult straits and windy channels, she hit a submerged rock on 15 Jan.1865 near Aehao, Chiloe Island, Southern Chile, and was wrecked.
Peru SG847,8,9. SSS Ency
Sources: MARHST-L Andreas von Mach. http://members.lycos.co.uk/Juan39/AMAZONAS.html