Page:A history of Chile.djvu/342

 3IO A HISTORY OF CHILE were thrown up in two long semicircular lines ; the outer, ten miles from Lima, was about six miles long, extending from the high Morro Solar, near Chorrillos on the coast, to- the mountains on the east; the inner line, about six miles out and four miles in length, passed just outside the village of Miraflores. Mines and torpedoes were prepared, but were not of much worth in checking the advance of the enemy over the sand-hills and through the beautiful orchards and clover fields which surrounded Lima. Redoubts upon Mount San Cristobal to the north of the city and upon Mount San Bartolem^ to the south and east, with batteries on the small hills south of the city, constituted the nearer defenses. On the 23rd of December, two divisions of the Peru- vian army moved into line at Chorrillos ; on the day following the rest of the army went to Miraflores. The divisions atChorrillos under Colonels Iglesias andSuar- ez extended their lines from Villa to Monterico Chico, strongly intrenched as described above ; the other divi- sions under Colonels Davila and Caceres, took up po- sitions in the Miraflores line. General Pierola estab- lished his headquarters at Chorrillos. As already stated, the first division of the Chilean army was landed at Pisco and ordered to march north- ward to form a junction with the main army at Cu- rayaco. General Villagras was at first in command at Pisco, but was subsequently relieved. Lynch being appointed in his place. On the 13th of December, Lynch began his march northward. Along the route he destroyed much property, burning and pillaging several villages, in revenge for being repeatedly annoyed by desultory skirmishes with the enemy. He arrived with his division at Ciirayaco on the 25th, bringing with him considerable booty.