Page:A history of Chile.djvu/326

 296 A HISTORY OF CHILE from Callao in the "Union" with stores and munitions of war for the troops in Arica, determined to run the blockade, which he succeeded in doing. Discovering the manoeuvre, the "Cochrane," "Huascar, " and "Ama- zonas, " gave chase and kept up an artillery practice at long range. One shell killed two and wounded twenty of the "Union's" crew, but the vessel escaped and made her way safely back to Callao. On the 6th of the following month, the Chilean war- ships, "Huascar" (which had been repaired and added to the navy), "Blanco," "Angamos," "Pilcomayo'' and "Cousina, " commanded by Admiral Riveros, sailed northward, their objective point being Callao. The port was blockaded and an unsuccessful attempt made to capture the "Union" and "Atahualpa, " but they slipped in close behind the darsena, or mole, and eluded their pursuers. The blockading squadron made the unforti- fied island of San Lorenzo, just out of the harbor, its headquarters and warned neutral vessels to leave the anchorage within eight days. On the 22nd a bombard- ment began at long range, but did comparatively little damage, as the shore defences replied from their one hundred and seventy guns. Attempts were made by the Peruvians to destroy the Chilean vessels with tor- pedo launches, but they were captured and the scheme frustrated. In revenge for these attempts, the Chile- ans again bombarded the town on the loth of May, but the batteries on shore replied so effectively that the "Huascar" was considerably damaged. About this time the Chilean government added to its navy several swift torpedo boats, manufactured in England and the United States. One, the "Janequeo," destroyed the Peruvian steam-launch "Independencia" at the mole in Callao harbor. Lieutenant Galvez, of the "Independencia," threw a one hundred pound case