Ships and balloons

Frigate Amazonas

Barroso’s flagship at Riachuelo.

Frigate Amazonas
The paddle frigate Amazonas flying the imperial ensign. Reconstruction.
Origin
England (Birkenhead); launched in 1851
Propulsion
Steam-driven side paddle wheels and sailing rig
Displacement
1,050 or 1,800 t ‡
Armament
Six smoothbore cannons
At Riachuelo
Barroso’s flagship; commanded by Theotonio Raymundo de Brito

She was a wooden-hulled paddle frigate, the largest ship on either side at Riachuelo. She carried Barroso’s flag, about 160 sailors and more than 300 embarked soldiers. In the battle, Barroso used her bow as a ram: she rammed the Jejuí, the Salto Oriental, the Marqués de Olinda and the Paraguarí, and sank a chata. For that victory, Barroso received the title of Baron of Amazonas in 1866.

‡ Disputed.Displacement: 1,050 t according to Palermo; 1,800 t according to another source. Men aboard at Riachuelo: 462 or 476. The order of the rammings varies by source. According to a single source, she ended up sunk in Rio de Janeiro during the Naval Revolt of 1893.

Sources: Pablo Palermo, Revista de Historia Naval no. 160 (2023); Portal Amazônia, on the frigate Amazonas; “Brazilian frigate Amazonas”, English Wikipedia.

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