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The corvette Atrevida was flagship of Alejandro Malespino (1754-1810), an Italian by birth, who spent his whole career in the Spanish Navy, from his entrance as a midshipman in 1774. He organised the voyage of discovery which the corvettes Atrevida and Descubierta made through the South Atlantic and then via Cape Horn to the Pacific, traversing the latter from the coasts of Chile to Alaska and from Australia to the Philippines. The voyage lasted four years, from July 3, 1789, when they left Cadiz, until September 21, 1793, when they returned to that port. It was an expedition of great scientific importance, during which studies, tests, observations and investigations were made in the fields of natural history, marine sciences, astronomy, botany, biology, and zoology. The ship is included in this series of stamp designs as a tribute to both Malespino and his ship for this research voyage.
Sea Breezes 11/64 SG1667 Argentina SG2218ms

LA ATREVIDA.

She was one of His Catholic Majesty’s corvettes, which altogether with her twin the DESCUBIERTA were assigned to an expedition with scientific and political purpose.
Between 30 July 1789 and 21 September 1794, she surveyed the Spanish Colonies on the west and the east coast of South America.
Both corvettes were built and launched at La Carraca in Cadiz in 1789; they were then named SANTA JUSTA (DESCUBIERTA) and SANTA RUFINA (LA ATREVIDA).
It were shallow draft vessels, 33.3 x 8.7 x 4.3m. Three masts and 306 tones lades. Arm. 14 – 6pdr. and 2 – 2pdr.
On 30 July 1789 the SANTA JUSTA and SANTA RUFINA sailed from Cadiz, and fifty-one days later, on 20 September arrived at Montevideo.
When the English seized the city, her Captain Antonio Ibarra burned ATREVIDA in order to prevent the enemy from capturing her. This fact was recorded as a memorable event.

Uruguay 1996 3p20 sg2279 scott 1617d

Copied from a Uruguayan Post leaflet.