Capture of the Paquete de Maule facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Capture of the Paquete de Maule
Part of the Chincha Islands War
Chilean steamer Paquete de Maule.
Date March 6, 1866 Location Gulf of Arauco, Chile Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Spain	Chile
Commanders and leaders
Juan Bautista Topete	Luis Alfredo Lynch Solo de Zaldívar
Strength
1 frigate (39 canons)	1 steamer (unarmed)
Casualties and losses
none	134 captured, 1 steamer captured

Imagine a time when countries fought over islands and resources. This is a story from the Chincha Islands War, which happened in the 1860s. On March 6, 1866, a Spanish warship called the Blanca captured a Chilean ship named Paquete de Maule. This happened in the Gulf of Arauco near Chile.

What Was the Paquete de Maule?

The Paquete de Maule was a large steamship. It weighed about 400 tons. It was built in 1861 in Williamsburg, New York, in the United States. Originally, it was meant to carry goods and people between Valparaiso and Maule in Chile.

During the war, the Paquete de Maule helped the Chilean Navy. It was an auxiliary ship, which means it supported the main fleet. It was not armed with any weapons.

How Was the Ship Captured?

On that day, the Paquete de Maule was sailing from Lota to Montevideo. It had a small crew of 7 men and an officer. But it also carried 126 sailors. These sailors were on their way to join two important Peruvian warships, the Huascar and the Independencia.

The Spanish warship Blanca found the Paquete de Maule. The Blanca was a powerful frigate with 39 cannons. It was commanded by Juan Bautista Topete. The Blanca was much stronger than the unarmed Paquete de Maule.

What Happened During the Capture?

The Paquete de Maule was traveling with another small Chilean boat called the Independencia pailebot. Luckily, the Spanish ship did not see the Independencia pailebot. This allowed the smaller boat to escape by hiding in shallow waters.

The crew of the Paquete de Maule tried to avoid being captured. They raised the flag of the British Empire. This was a trick to make the Spanish think it was a neutral British ship. When the Spanish officers boarded the ship, the crew even claimed they were British citizens.

However, the Spanish officers were not fooled. They arrested the crew and took control of the ship. In total, 134 people were captured, and the Paquete de Maule became a Spanish prize.

What Happened After the Capture?

After being captured, the Paquete de Maule was added to the Spanish fleet. It was even armed with two cannons. It then took part in a big naval battle called the Battle of Callao.

Later, on May 10, 1866, the Spanish decided to destroy the Paquete de Maule. They burned and sank it near San Lorenzo island. They did this because they could not take the ship with them when they retreated towards the Philippines.

See also

In Spanish: Apresamiento del Paquete del Maule para niños