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Rh quite inefficient against the breech-loading pieces of the Chilians.

The Chilians assembled at Antofagasta an army of 10,000 men, with 850 well-mounted cavalry, and 32 long-range field-guns of the newest pattern. This force was embarked on four men-of-war and fifteen transports, and sailed on the 28th October for an unknown destination, which afterwards proved to be Pisagua, 274 miles from Antofagasta. By a blunder the medical stores and ambulances were left behind, and as a consequence most of the Chilians wounded in the attack on Pisagua died of neglect. Pisagua was defended by a force of less than 1,000 altogether; they succeeded in killing 235 of the invaders before retreating from the place, but their own loss was greater, owing to the heavy fire of the Chilian men-of-war. Pisagua was occupied by the Chilians on the 2d November, and before the end of the month the combined armies of Peru and Bolivia had been defeated in two battles, one near Iquique and the other at Tarapaca. They retreated to Arica, which they reached on the 16th December, and found blockaded by the Chilian fleet. The province of Tarapaca was thus wrested from Peru in a single short campaign, and Chili was in possession of the much-coveted nitrate districts. In February, 1880, a second campaign was undertaken, and a fleet sailed from Pisagua for the conquest of the Tacna region. The plan was for the Chilians to make a landing north of Arica, the port of Tacna, where the allied army was concentrated, and thus cut off the line of retreat. When this was accomplished the allies would be attacked in their isolated position, where escape would be next to impossible.

The plan was carried out by landing 14,000 men at Ylo, Pacocha, and Islay, and taking possession of the lines of railway extending into the interior. Tacna was taken, and after it Arica, the defeated allies being driven to the mountains. Arica was taken by a combined naval and