possible, to deal her opponent a crippling blow even before
war had been formally declared.

Chili thereupon demanded the reasons for her preparations, as indeed she
was fully entitled to do, and required that they should cease. Then,
receiving no satisfactory reply, she announced her knowledge of a secret
treaty, dated the 6th of February 1873, between Bolivia and Peru, and at
once declared war against the latter as well as the former.

Immediately following this, Chili increased her navy by repurchasing the
corvette _Abtao_--a sister ship to the famous _Alabama_ of American
Civil War times--built in 1864, of 1050 tons displacement, 300 horse-
power, and with a nominal sea-speed of 6 knots. This ship was armed
with three 150-pounder muzzle-loading guns and three 30-pounder muzzle-
loaders; and she played almost as important a part in the war between
Chili and Peru as did the _Alabama_ in the American Civil War.

Chili also bought from the Pacific Steam Navigation Company the screw
steamer _Amazonas_, for use as a transport; and by chartering the
_Rimac, Itata, Lamar, Loa_, and _Limari_ from the Chilian Steam
Navigation Company, and the _Mathias Cousino_ and other steamers from
the Cousino estate, she strengthened the effectiveness of her fleet to a
very great extent. All the upper spars of these craft were sent ashore,
and their lower yards, where they were retained to serve as derricks,
were cock-billed. The head-booms were unrigged, and all but the
standing bowsprits of the wooden vessels were landed.

The senior Peruvian naval officer afloat was at this time Captain Don
Miguel Grau, a native of Piura, and a man of about forty-five years of
age. He is spoken of as "an officer of the highest capacity and
bravery, remarkably quiet and unassuming, and an excellent seaman. His
people worshipped him, and all who knew him honoured him." In 1868 he
had been given command of the _Huascar_, an ironclad monitor of 1130
tons displacement, 1200 horse-power, and with a nominal sea-speed of 11
knots. She was armed with two 10-inch 21-ton muzzle-loading guns (both
in the same turret), two 40-pounder muzzle-loaders, one 12-pounder
muzzle-loader, and one Gatling gun. This ship distinguished herself
more than any other of the Peruvian fleet; and in her subsequent bloody
battle with the Chilian warships, _Blanco Encalada_ and _Almirante
Cochrane_, in which her gallant commander lost his life, she behaved
herself with such g