Notes dealing with Chilean and Mexican navies

My fellow researcher Gerardo Daniel Etcheverry sent me some days ago useful information dealing with two notes published on this weblog.(1) His notes are published between here “...”. I added in the notes some extra information.

“The data about Mexican fleet are nearly exactly those of the Annual Estimates from 1827/1828 and 1828/1829 (and probably 1826/1827), but the Annual Estimates aren’t very faithful. The corvette Morelos was at the Pacific, with the two Californian mail schooners; most of other vessels were at the Atlantic; the great launches are ‘lanchas cañoneras’ (gunboat launches). The Congreso Mexicano (2) (old Spanish Asia) was never a fighting ship of the line in Mexican Navy; she sailed from the Pacific to the Atlantic, only to remain as a (prison) hulk, waiting to be sunk as unseaworthy. The Tepeyac (most sources clased her as a corvette) never joined the Mexican navy and was lastly sold to Russia in 1830 as the Knyaz Varshavsky. Some sources said she was ordered in 1824, anothers in 1825 or 1826. Two brothers (Samuel and ... Chew) paid her building and then made claims to Mexico to be paid back (they said this was a bad enterprise, but I think they probably have good returns, as the Mexicans paid most of Tepeyac costs and then the corvette was sold again. The sources I read say the Chew weren’t the salers to Russia. Some Mexican sources say the Tepeyac (also know as Kensington) was renamed Guerrero after the loss of this Mexican brig, surrendered to Spain and renamed Cautivo. As the Tepeyac was off Mexico, this renaming was probably only in paper.” and dealing with Chile he gave the following information: “The data about the Chilean navy are very obscure, as none of the major vessels of Cochrane's navy was still “alive”: the San Martín (3) (only “ship of the line”, old indiaman) sank when Cochrane was still in Chilean fleet; O’Higgins/María Isabel (4) (old Russian Patrikiy), sank in 1826 after being sold to Argentina; Lautaro (5) (another old indiaman) was out of service by 1826 and soon disposed off; Independencia was sold to Argentina in 1826, when she didn’t cross the Cape Horn she was sold to a Chilean merchant and she was sold to the Peruvian Navy and very soon out of service; Chacabuco was sold in 1826 to Argentina (as you know, was the only vessel to arrive here). About 1836, the major Chilean warship was the former Spanish brig Aquiles.”

Notes

1. “The navy of Chile as described by Samuel Augustus Mitchell in his book published in 1837” and “The Mexican Navy around 1827”.

2. The New Monthly Magazine and literary journal for 1825, vol. 15, p. 338, “Accounts from Mexico state that Captain Martinez, his officers and crew, had given up the Spanish ship of the line, Asia; of 68 guns, to the Mexican Government, together with the Spanish brig Constantia, and had themselves entered into the Mexican service. Both vessels were forwarded to Acapulco, where they arrived on the 11th of June. The Spanish Government had sent out the Asia to engage in reconquering Peru und Mexico, but, with its accustomed weakness and want of foresight, had taken no means to secure even the pay of the crews. The Mexican Government wanted ships to clear its territory from the Spanish garrison of St. Juan d’Ulloa, a service which the Asia and its consort will be able to perform by blockading that fort by sea, whilst it is attacked or starred out by land. It will have a good effect upon King Ferdinand himself, for it will prevent him sending troops to the New World, lest they should follow the example thus given them, and should become the defenders of that independence which they would be commissioned to destroy.” and Niles National register, vol. 28, p. 390 “Mexico. We have the official account of the surrender of the Spanish line of battle ship Asia, of 64 guns, and of the brig Constante. They were given up to the Mexican government in Monterrey, on the 1st of May, by capitulation. The officers, &c. who are willing to swear to the independence' of Mexico, will remain - and those who do not, it is stipulated, shall be furnished with necessary aid to return to Spain, or some, other of the Spanish possessions. Arrears of wages due are to be paid by the Mexican government.”

3. Launched at Dudman, Deptford for William Borradaile/British E.I.C. 11 November 1802, sold as ex-East Indiaman Cumberland to Chile, arrived at Valparaiso 22 May 1818 and was rebuilt as the 60 guns San Martin. She was wrecked in Bay of Chorillos, Chile August 1821. Her dimensions were 133'10"x 31'1" x 17'2" and with a builders measurement of 1260.69/96 tons.

4. “The Chilean frigate O’Higgins captured as the Spanish Maria Isabel, being the former Spanish Patrico and Russian Patricia and finally became the Argentinean Buenos Aires”, this weblog 11 July 2009.

5. Launched at Perry, Wells& Green as the  East Indiaman Windham for Robert Wigram 3 November 1800, sold by Joseph Andrews to Chile in 1828 rebuilt as the 52-guns Lautaro. Her dimensions were 118'10" x 36'2" x 14'10" and with a builders measurement of 823.47/94 tons.