The Rímac was a steamer involved in decisive actions of the War of the Pacific (1879-1884) and Thousand Days' War (1899-1902). After the building of the ship in the United Kingdom 1872, she was purchased by the Compañía Sudamericana de Vapores and arrived to Chile in 1874. On 5 May 1874 the Chilean government issued a subvention program under which Chilean enterprises supplied Navy with materiel, called "Convenio de subvención". At the beginning of the war and under this agreement the Rímac was handed over to the Navy, together with the ships Loa and Itata.