While she was at Valparaíso, Chile, her original private owners thought she was in such a bad state that she would not be able to return to Europe.
Therefore, they allowed her captain to sell her at a low price to the Chiliean Ministry of the Interior in 1858.
[2] The Ministry of the Interior used Pizarro to serve the needs of the nascent Chilean colony at the Strait of Magellan.
[1] During her short service life she was commanded by Chilean Navy Captain Francisco Hudson.
[1] Pizarro′s companion ship Meteoro survived the storm and managed to pass Cape Horn and return to central Chile.