of the stone docks, where were also
the _Talisman_ and two hulks, the _Apurimac_ and _Maranon_. They had
also several new torpedo-boats, as well as launches and tugs armed with
spar-torpedoes, with which they patrolled the harbour to prevent any
repetition of an attack like that of the _Guacolda_.

Admiral Riveros was extremely angry with Lieutenant Goni when upon his
arrival off Callao he saw that every possible preparation had been made
for his reception; that any further surprise was impossible; and that
the attack would now have to be made openly. He therefore called away
his barge and, under a flag of truce, visited the senior Peruvian naval
officer for the purpose of informing him that Callao was to be
blockaded, and that, since bombardment might at any moment become
necessary, all non-combatants should at once leave the town and seek a
place of safety. The Chilian also sent a notice to this effect to the
principal consular agent and to the senior foreign naval officer of the
neutral warships lying in the roads, eight days being the time allowed
for neutral shipping and foreigners generally to leave the place. Upon
the representation of the consuls, however, that eight days were not
enough, the admiral increased the period of grace to ten days, and then
set to work on the task of making his fleet ready for the bombardment
which he saw was inevitable.

The defences of Callao consisted for the most part of a series of
batteries arranged in crescent form round the shores of the bay. At the
extreme south-west point of land, between the bays of Callao and
Miraflores, stood the strongest Peruvian battery, called the Dos de
Mayo, which had only very recently been constructed. This contained two
20-inch M.L. Rodman guns, mounted on United States service iron
carriages; and these formidable weapons commanded nearly seven-eighths
of the horizon. Tarapoca battery, which faced due south over Chorillos
bay, contained two 15-inch Dahlgren guns, as also did Pierola battery,
facing Callao bay. Next to Pierola came the Torre del Merced, a
revolving turret mounting two 10-inch rifled Armstrongs. Then came a
brick fort called the Santa Rosa, containing two 11-inch rifled Blakely
guns. The Castle, a very old and ruinous structure, the only strength
of which consisted of two masonry towers, had four 11-inch rifled
Blakelies. Seven large-bore guns were mounted on the mole, together
with two small and very ancient 32-pounde