The

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

''Magallanes'' was ordered by the

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

an government after the disastrous consequences of the War against Spain in 1864-1866 and the rising border conflict with the neighboring countries at the end of the 1870s.

In the extreme southern region of Chile

In 1874 she was ordered to travel to the

Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is considered the most important natural pass ...

to produce charts of the ''

Angostura Inglesa English Narrows (Spanish ''Angostura Inglesa'') is a contracted passage in Messier Channel in the southwestern coast of Chile. Here it is only wide, but it presents no great difficulty or danger (excepting to very long vessels) unless a vessel go ...

'' in the

Messier Channel Messier Channel is a channel located in Patagonia, Chile. It trends north–south between Wellington Island and other Pacific islands and the continent, and is bounded on the north by the Gulf of Penas. Southward the name of this inside passa ...

, and of the Bahia Possession in the strait. In January 1876, during patrols off the extreme southern region of Chile and under the command of

Juan José Latorre Juan José Latorre Benavente (Santiago; March 24, 1846 – July 9, 1912) Chilean Vice Admiral, one of the principal actors of the War of the Pacific, and hero of the Battle of Angamos. Early life Son of Elías Latorre and of Nicomedia Benav ...

, the French ship ''Jeanne Amelie'' was seized off the coast of Rio Negro as they loaded

guano Guano (Spanish from qu, wanu) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. G ...

without a Chilean license. By the attempt to bring the ship to Punta Arenas, the ''Jeanne Amelie'' sank on 27 April 1876 at the eastern entrance of the Strait of Magellan. Later the American ship ''Devonshire'' was also seized. In 1877, also under the command of

, the crew of the corvette put down "''El motín de los artilleros''" ("The Mutiny of the Artillerymen") and restored the rule of law in

Punta Arenas Punta Arenas (; historically Sandy Point in English) is the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. The city was officially renamed as Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to "Punta Aren ...

. In July 1878, ''Magallanes'' was despatched from Punta Arenas to Melville Sound to tow the British

barque A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel with three or more mast (sailing), masts having the fore- and mainmasts Square rig, rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) Fore-and-aft rig, rigged fore and aft. Som ...

, which had been struck by a wave and severely damaged, in to Punta Arenas. The two ships arrived there on 2 August.

War of the Pacific

The ''Magallanes'' was a protagonist of the

Battle of Chipana The Battle of Chipana took place on 12 April 1879, during the War of the Pacific between Chile and Peru. It was the first naval engagement between both navies and took place in front of Huanillos, off the (then) Bolivian coast, as the Peruvian c ...

in April 1879, the first naval battle of the war. In September 1879 she was refitted in Valparaíso and

Carlos Condell Carlos Arnaldo Condell De La Haza (August 14, 1843 in Valparaíso – November 24, 1887 in Quilpué) was a Chilean naval officer and hero of the Battle of Punta Gruesa during the start of the War of the Pacific. Possessing a great sense of ...

took the command of the ship. In November she was involved in the amphibious assault on the port of Pisagua.

Civil War of 1891

During the civil war of 1891 she sided with the Junta of Iquique. In 1906 the ship was decommissioned, handed over to the Merchant Navy. In 1907 she sank off

Corral A pen is an enclosure for holding livestock. It may also perhaps be used as a term for an enclosure for other animals such as pets that are unwanted inside the house. The term describes types of enclosures that may confine one or many animal ...

. File:CAÑON115LIBRASMAGALLANES.jpg, The main gun, an Armstrong 115-pounder File:MAGALLANES.jpg, Deck File:MAGALLANES-1.jpg, Deck File:OFICIALIDADDELAMAGALLANESDESPUESDEC.jpg, Officers of the Chilean ship ''Magallanes'' File:Magallanes-devonshire.png, Capture of the US ''Devonshire'' by the ''Magallanes''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magallanes (1873) Steam corvettes of the Chilean Navy 1873 ships Maritime incidents in April 1876 Ships built on the River Thames Merchant ships of Chile Steamships of Chile Maritime incidents in 1907

In the extreme southern region of Chile

War of the Pacific

Civil War of 1891

See also

References