Built as a fireship, later classed as sloop, built by Benjamin Tanner, Dartmouth for the Royal Navy.
01 October 1805 ordered, and the same month the keel was laid down
18 Aug. 1806 launched under the name "THAIS". Tonnage 421 ton bm., dim. length of gundeck 108.9 ft, beam 29.7 ft. depth 7.9ft., length of keel 90.7 ft. Armament quarterdeck 6 - 18 pdrs. carronades, forecastle 2 – 9 pdrs. and 2 – 128 pdrs. carronades. Crew 121.
June 1807 commissioned under command of Commander Isaac Ferrieres 07 September 1807 completed in Plymouth.
1807 Under command of Isaac Ferrieres she was fitted out at Plymouth for the West Indies. 1808 Stationed at Brazil. She was first mentioned (by Lloyds?) as arrived St. Helena on 23rd Feb. 1809 from Cape of Good Hope. She was back on her way to England: she had been ordered by Admiral Bertie (at the Cape) to look out for some homeward bound East Indiamen which were missing after a severe gale on 22 Nov. 1808. Capt. Ferrieres was promoted to post Captain on 21-10-1810, the fifth anniversary of Trafalgar. She was mentioned again as sailing from Portsmouth on 25th April 1811 and calling at Madeira on 31st May. She sailed for Africa on June 2nd and is thought to have called at Ascension thereafter 10-10-1811 command taken over by Edward Scobell, thereafter stationed at Plymouth. 1812 Stationed at the African coast 1813 she captured a slaver of only 183 tons burthen, with 350 slaves on board. When the crew of the "THAIS" went on board of the slaver they found that three of the slaves were dead from suffocation. Also that year she captured the American privateer brig "RAMBLER" with twelve long 9- and 6 pdrs. and 88 men. The "RAMBLER" had sailed from Rhode Island on 28 Jan. but had made no captures. Mr E.J.Hogan gives that the "THAIS" was mentioned for the last time as a Royal Naval vessel (by Lloyds?) in May/June 1813 when she is mentioned as capturing an unnamed American privateer ("RAMBLER") of Cape Mount, Liberia. She returned to Portsmouth on 21st Nov 1813 from the coast of Africa. Between 1814/15 was she cruising in the English Channel under command of Henry Weir. 1816 Cruising in the West Indies.
1817 in ordinary at Plymouth.
13-08~1818 Sold to Mr Price for £1,400 and she became a British Merchant ship under the same name. She was sheathed and coppered and evidently repaired and fitted out, she was registered 'E1' at Lloyds in Feb 1819. At that time her owners were Brown & Co., her master and probably part-owner was Captain Robson. She sailed for Valparaiso from Gravesend on 11th June 1819 leaving the Downs on June 13th. She probably reached her destination at about the beginning of October. While under the British flag, she appears to have remained on the West Coast of South America for roughly 2 years. On 13th Jan, 1821, when in the port of Mollendo, Peru, 130.000 dollars (pesos?) in specie were transferred from the "THAIS" to the US frigate "MACEDONIAN", for safe passage (at that time it was common practice for men-of-war to transport specie for merchants. No doubt Captain Downes of the "MACEDONIAN" got a small percentage for his trouble). At the time, the frigate was on her way back to the USA: on her way she landed one million dollars at Rio de Janeiro from various West Coast ports. Later in 1821 the "THAIS" was detained by the Patriots (evidently in a Peruvian port) for having in her stronq-box $44.000 (or pesos?) belonging to the Spanish (no doubt it was confiscated). It is stated that she was considered a prize. It may have been a sort of compromise that in Nov. 1821 the Patriots purchased the "THAIS" from her owner Mr Robinson (sic.) for the sum of $ 28.000 (or Pesos? whatever, it was probably gold). "THAIS" was incorporated in the newly-formed Peruvian Navy as the corvette "LIMEÑA". She was armed with 12 - 12pdrs, 5 - 8 pdrs., 3 -9pdrs., and 2 - 6pdrs., with a complement of 136 men. Her first commander was Captain Thomas W.Carter (late of the Chilean Navy and formerly a Royal navy officer. It appears that a few months later she only mounted 20 guns and had a complement of 95 men. Admiral Blanco Encalada hoisted his flag on board in early 1822; in May he entered Callao Bay and sailed past the Chilean frigate OIHIGGINS, flagship of Lord Cochrane, without saluting - he said he'd been ordered not to. Next day Cochrane had the Peruvian naval schooner "MONTEZUMA" seized for the Raffle offence (this is the same "MONTEZUMA" that is shown on the Chilean stamp!). On 9th Dec. 1822 the 'foreigners' (English and Americans?) aboard the "LIMEÑA" mutinied and took over the ship, but she was recovered a few days later. A year or so later "LIMEÑA" blockaded Guayaquil. In late 1825 she was ordered to leave and join the combined Patriot vessels blockading the fortress of Real Felipe in Callao. Here the Spanish General Rodil was still holding out- despite the deaths of a large number of both members of the garrison and civilians from starvation and sickness. General Rodil surrendered on 22nd Jan. 1826. After the articles of surrender had been ratified, he left Peru on HMS "BRITON" (on Pitcairn 1988 15 c SG 3171.) "LIMEÑA" was now disarmed and laid up in Callao. A report dated Feb. 1828 from Admiral Guise of the Peruvian Navy (formerly Royal Navy) states ' the "LIMEÑA" has been converted to a pontoon and is practically unserviceable, it appears that in May, her masts were used to replace those of the Peruvian frigate "PRESIDENTE" ex "PROTECTOR" ex Spanish frigate "PRUEBA".
Ascension 1986 9p sg413, scott405
Copied partly from
http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/INTRO.HTM Log Book vol 16 page 7, 66.and an article by Mr E.J.Hogan in Log Book vol 26 page l56/157. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817 by Rif Winfield.