History

The line vessel of two bridges “El Oriflama” was built for the French Army in Toulon, in 1743 by engineer and builder Pierre Blaise Coulomb (1699 – 1753); a well recognized member of French Navy builders.

Oriflama had the following measurements: 41.3 m in length, 40.18 meters in keel length, 10.78 meters of beam breadth, 4.0 meters of plan, 5.16 meters of prop (support) and 1.72 meters between decks, with a displacement of 1500 tons.

The Oriflama was catalogued as a Fourth Rank, First Order Vessel. It carried fifty cannons; however, it was loaded with fifty-six. They were twenty-four cannons from XVIII in the first battery, twenty-six from XII in the second battery, and six from VI on the quarter-deck.

The ship worked for the French Army until April of 1761, when it was captured by the English during the war against France. It was no longer being used in the army; therefore it was transformed into a merchant vessel, keeping its original name.

It is not known with certainty how the ship fell into Spanish hands. We assume it happened at the end of December of 1761 when Carlos III ordered the capture of all English Vessels anchored on Spanish ports, during meddling with the hostilities that forebode the war declaration between Spain and England. The Spaniards kept the ship as a merchant vessel. It was renamed as Nuestra Senora del Buen Consejo y San Leopoldo , and kept the nickname of El Oriflama. The cannons from the first battery were closed.

We believe that after the appropriations, it was auctioned, and obtained by its final owner, “Juan Baptista de Uztaris, Brothers and Co.”

Between years 1763 and 1768, it made several trips to New Spain. During this period, numerous documents denounced its defeat from Cadiz to Vera Cruz, and Vera Cruz to Habana, and returned to Spain, loaded with the riches of Mexico.

Its last destination to Callao was to conserve the vessel “San Joseph” nicknamed as “El Gallardo” (because this last one contained a duplicated registry of the Oriflama). On February 18th, 1770, Oriflama weighed anchor from the port of Cadiz with a crew of 176 men, and 38 passengers. In charge was Captain Joseph Antonio de Alzaga. Master Joseph de Zavalsa compromised to travel directly to the port in the south sea, without touching any other port under a penalty of fine.

With a total cargo load of 108,000 cubic palms of merchandise, and an exceeding 3,584 cubic palms, the 628.5 ton Oriflama had a total registry of 436 that included 1,658 drawers of various cargo and 1,738 arpillado drawers that contained glassware. The glassware was from the farm of San Illdefonso, by request of the King to be sold in the virreinato, to benefit the Talavera’s factories. Without any doubt, this will be the most valuable shipment on board, and the object of all efforts of rescue after the shipwreck.

Approaching the end of its journey, and after 5 months of navigation, Oriflama was seen on July 25th, 1770 approximately at 34° 09’ south latitude. It was spotted by the Spanish Vessel “San Joseph”, nicknamed as “El Gallardo”. “San Joseph” was commanded by Juan Esteban de Ezpeleta. He ordered to move his vessel closer to the Oriflama, in order to identify it. Oriflama did not respond to his first cannon-shot, nor the sign flag as a warning in the Gallardo.

The second commander in El Gallardo, Joseph de Alvarez knew the identity of Oriflama, and knew about the disastrous conditions of the passengers and crew. They were victims of cold, hunger, hemorrhages, and malnutrition. Since the trip started, 78 dead bodies have been thrown into sea and 106 passengers seriously ill on board. Only 30 men could handle the sails, but were not capable to raise it higher then the first top.

Captain Ezpeleta gave orders to send a boat with service crews and provisions to give immediate help. There was ham, a barrel of grout, a barrel of flour, cheeses, and wine. Unfortunately, a strong wind came from the north, and kept the vessels from reaching each other.

Before this, Ezpeleta ordered to strike the sails to maintain position. He let off a second cannon-shot for the Oriflama. The wind was in favor for Oriflama to move towards El Gallardo. However, Oriflama continued on its outside route that it began with. The captain of El Gallardo chose to follow Oriflama, whilst pointing out his position with lights placed strategically over the masts. At 10 o’clock, the last light of Oriflama was seen. The next day, July 26th, around 2:30 pm, Oriflama was seen again by the Gallardo for the last time.

In the noon hours of July 27th, 1770, during a huge wind and rain storm, Captain Feliciano Lottelier saw the vessel near the coast moving towards the shore of the Huenchullami River mouth. The stern was separated from the prow and dismasted on the deck level, with 8 men in the bowsprit asking for help. The Oriflama was now lost forever with its crew in a storm too strong to allow any help.

On the next day, fragments of the hull and mast washed up on the beach, including 12 dead bodies.

On May 8th, 1771, eight months after the shipwreck, Juan Antonio de Bonachea arrived in Huenchullami, from Lima, Peru. With him were 9 sailors and 3 expert scuba divers. Under direct orders of the Viceroy Amat, they were to find any remains and the shipments at any cost. In spite of all the efforts, nothing was recovered. He informed “during all the time he spent at the site, the sea had not been calm in 3 days, so he considered it to be almost impossible to rescue anything found from the shipwreck. The search was stopped on the first month of 1772.