Page:A history of Chile.djvu/312

 284 A HISTORY OF CHILE town ; a few of the inhabitants were killed and some damage done, but most of the shells passed over the place. On the 17th of July, the "Huascar, " in company with the "Union," started southward on a cruise. Several Chilean ports were visited, the launches found there de- stroyed, and two merchantmen captured. Off Antofa- gasta on July 23rd, the Chilean transport "Rimac, " con- veying a battalion of cavalry and stores to the town, was captured. The troops and officers were taken to Arica; the "Rimac" was converted into a Peruvian cruiser. Soon afterward, August i8th, the "Union," command- ed by Captain Garcia y Garcia, went south to inter- cept in the Straits, two vessels from Europe with car- goes of stores for the Chilean government. He reached Punta Arenas, the Chilean settlement on the Straits, just after the first vessel had passed through. The governor of the place assured Captain Garcia that both vessels had passed, when the "Union" set off in hot pursuit. The other vessel was at the time entering the strait, so that both of them escaped, and, arriving at Valparaiso, their cargoes served to equip a new levy of three thousand men. The action of the Chilean fleet being barren of re- sults, while Captain Grau was making himself feared along the whole coast, caused much discontent in Chile, and several changes were now made among the officers. Galvarino Riveros replaced Juan Williams Robelledo in the "Blanco, '' as commander of the navy. Captain Simp- son was superseded by Captain Latorre, of the "Ma- gallanes, " in the command of the "Cochrane;" Don Rafael Sotomayor was appointed minister of war and dispatched to Antofagasta. He ordered the blockade of Iquique to be raised and the two ironclads to pro-