Manila,
a most important dependency of Spain in the East Indies. He expected
to take the Spaniards entirely by surprise, to capture all Spanish
vessels in port, and to hold Manila and the other ports of the
Philippine Islands until peace was established.

In order to provide for the reappearance of the Spanish fleet on the
coast during his absence, Tucker advised the allied Governments to
enroll as a naval reserve all the Peruvian and Chilean masters, mates
and crews of merchant vessels, pilots and mariners engaged in
employments on shore. A part of his plan was that all merchant
steamers carrying the flags of the Republics, which could be made
available for war purposes, should be inspected and held ready for
active service in the Navy and manned by the naval reserve whenever
the Government should think it necessary to employ them. This force,
with the harbor defense iron-clads, and the forts and batteries on
shore, Tucker thought would be a sufficient protection for the coast,
whilst his squadron of the most efficient sea-going vessels was absent
in the East Indies, where the capture of Manila would have dealt a
heavy blow to Spain, and rendered an honorable peace, carrying with it
an acknowledgment of the independence of Peru and Chile, a matter of
easy attainment.

This plan, which would probably have been entirely successful if
carried out with skill, daring and judgment, as it would have been by
Tucker, was favorably considered by the Governments of the allied
Republics, but it was not carried out, probably on account of the
financial embarrassments under which the Republics labored, and which
rendered it exceedingly difficult to find the funds required to fit
out the expedition.

The Manila expedition having been abandoned, and the Spanish fleet
which had been employed on the Pacific coast having returned home,
Tucker requested permission to visit Lima, in order that he might lay
before General Prado, President of the Republic, a plan for making an
exploration and survey of the Peruvian or Upper Amazon River and its
tributaries. The President heartily approved of the enterprise, for
the Government was at that very time considering the practicability of
opening better communications between the west coast and the eastern
part of the country, and of finding an outlet by the waters of the
Amazon for the rich productions of the interior.

Tucker resigned his commission as rear-admiral in the Navy of the
Republ